CHART 3-A: EXPENDITURE LIMITATIONS |
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| STATE | WHO
MAY MAKE EXPENDITURES |
TOTAL EXPENDITURES |
BEFORE FIRST FILING |
SHORTLY BEFORE ELECTION DAY |
POST-ELECTION | FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES |
PERSONAL USE OF CANDIDATE |
TO CANDIDATE'S FAMILY |
| Alabama | Only committee named and designated by candidate | Unlimited as to officeholder expenses, contributions to charity, transfers to another committee, donations to state agencies or funds, or uses for other non-personal lawful purposes | Limited to necessary and ordinary campaign and officeholding expenses, or charitable contributions. | Generally
prohibited. Not permitted for judges and judicial candidates Not permitted for surplus funds |
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| Alaska | Candidate, treasurer, or deputy treasurer | No expenditures by candidate permitted before filing date except personal travel expenses and public opinion polls or surveys. | Surplus may be given to charity; used to repay contributors; spent on a future campaign; used to repay candidate up to a limited amount; donated to a party, the state, or a municipality; or may be transferred to an office allowance fund up to a limited amount | Use of campaign funds must reasonably relate to election campaign. Funds may not be used to knowingly pay in excess of fair market value for campaign goods/services; to pay a criminal fine or penalty; or to make contributions to another candidate or to a group. | Prohibited | Prohibited | ||
| American Samoa | Requires written authorization of treasurer | Triggers organizational report filing | Surplus must be returned pro rata to contributors if their identities are known. If no donors are found, surplus may be contributed to another candidate’s fund, party, charity, or nonprofit organization, or surplus escheats to the territory | Must be related to the campaign | ||||
| Arizona | Treasurer or authorized agent | Limited to less than $500 prior to registering committee. | Certain late obligations or expenditures of personal funds by candidates and certain large, late contributions to ballot measure committees must be accompanied by special notice. | Surplus funds may be retained for a future campaign; returned to contributors; or donated to a party committee, certain charitable organizations, political organizations within limits | Surplus funds may not be used for personal use of the candidate | Surplus funds may not be used for personal use of any person related to candidate by blood or marriage | ||
| Arkansas | After
setting aside any funds needed to pay debts, and an amount equal to the yearly salary for
the office sought, surplus funds must either be turned over to the state treasurer for the
benefit of the general revenue fund, to a nonprofit organization under the Internal
Revenue Code, to an organized political party or political party caucus, or to
contributors to the candidate’s campaign. Special requirements cover specifically defined carryover funds. |
A candidate who takes a leave of absence without pay from primary place of employment may take campaign funds during the campaign and before the election as personal income, up to the amount of income lost due to the leave of absence. | Unopposed candidate may not take any campaign funds for income for spouse or dependent children after filing deadline (or, if opposed in the primary but not in general election, after the date of winning the nomination) except after write-in filing deadline if candidate files affidavit agreeing not to solicit further contributions. | |||||
| California | Candidate or treasurer | Candidate surplus may be used for debts or charitable contributions; contributed to a political party, candidate for federal office, or a ballot measure committee; contributed to an out-of-state campaign; used to defray certain legal or professional expenses associated with the election and aftermath; or used to purchase home or office security system subject to restrictions. | Must be directly related to political, legislative, or governmental purpose if candidate or elected officer receives substantial personal benefit. Certain expenditures must be directly related regardless of benefit received. | Prohibited | Prohibited, except for certain directly related travel. | |||
| Colorado | Professional lobbyists may not dispense certain party funds | Voluntary
campaign spending limits of: $2 million for governor $400,000 for secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general $100,000 for lt. governor $75,000 for state senate $50,000 for state house of representatives, state board of education, or regent of the University of Colorado |
Prohibited | May be contributed to a political party subject to aggregate limits; donated to an Internal Revenue Service-recognized charitable organization; returned to contributors; or retained for use in a subsequent election; officeholders may used surplus for certain specified purposes related to office | Must
be reasonably related to supporting the election of the candidate. May not be used to encourage another candidate’s withdrawal from race. |
Prohibited | ||
| Connecticut | Treasurer or those authorized by treasurer | No expenditures permitted until treasurer and campaign depository have been designated | Certain public expenditures featuring incumbents running for office are prohibited in specific period before elections | Surplus may be donated to another committee (except one established to further the candidate’s future campaigns), distributed pro rata to contributors, or used for transition expenses. Ballot question committees may also distribute surplus to government agencies or tax-exempt organizations | Polls, meeting halls, rally expenses, printing and advertising, professional service fees, travel, staff salaries, rent, supplies, voter transportation, communications, petition-related expenses, and other expenses permitted by the Commission | Prohibited | Prohibited for personal use | |
| Delaware | Candidate committee | Surplus funds may be contributed to a tax-exempt religious, charitable, educational, or scientific organization, volunteer fire department, or to a successful committee | Staff salaries, travel expenses, filing fees, communications and printing, food, office supplies, voter lists and canvasses, poll watchers, rent, advertising, rallies, or legal counsel | |||||
| District of Columbia | Only the chair, treasurer, or designated agents may make an expenditure | Surplus funds may be donated to a political party for political purposes; returned to donors; transferred to a scientific, technical, or literacy or educational organization; or used for constituent services with certain limits | ||||||
| Florida | Only campaign treasurers or deputy treasurers | Publicly
financed candidates and those agreeing to voluntary limits: $5 million for governor and lt. governor $2 million for cabinet Limits may be increased under certain circumstances |
No expenditures of any contribution received by a state or county political committee less than 5 days before an election may be made on behalf of a candidate, issue, or political party in that election | Funds remaining after an election are to be used to pay remaining obligations incurred prior to or on election day. Surplus funds may be used to reimburse a candidate for candidate’s contributions; transferred to a public officeholder account in various amounts dependent upon office; returned pro rata to contributors; given to a candidate’s political party (limited to $10,000 after 01/01/99); donated to a nonprofit or charitable organization; or given to the state for the general fund or the election campaign financing trust fund (by a state candidate) or political subdivision (by a local candidate) | Expenditures may only be used to influence the results of an election | Prohibited | Prohibited; additional restrictions for family of a judicial candidate | |
| Georgia | Candidate, chair, treasurer, or designated agents | Excess funds may be donated to any charitable organization and nonprofit organization; transferred to any future campaign for the elective office for which they were received; used for repayment of any prior campaign obligation incurred as a candidate; or transferred to any national, state, or local committee of any political party or to any candidate. | May only be used to defray ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with the candidate’s campaign for elective office, or the public officer’s fulfillment or retention of that office. | Prohibited | Prohibited | |||
| Guam | Requires written authorization of treasurer | Permissible, as long as not greater than $100,000 | Candidates who withdraw or cease to be candidates must return contributions to their party, or to another candidate of the same party | |||||
| Hawaii | Only campaign treasurer or deputy treasurer | Voluntary
election year limits of: Governor - $2.50 x qualified voters; Lt. Governor - $1.40 x qualified voters; Mayor - $2.00 x qualified voters; House/Senate/council/ prosecutor - $1.40 x qualified voters; Others - 20? x qualified voters |
Limited, as certain expenditures trigger filing requirement | Surplus may be used for fundraising; candidate- sponsored, politically related activity; ordinary and necessary office-holder expenses; donations to any community service, scientific, education, youth, recreation, charitable, or literary organization | Must be related to a campaign purpose, including donations to community, youth, social or recreational organizations; reports, surveys, and polls | Prohibited | Prohibited for personal expenses | |
| Idaho | Surplus may only be used for ordinary and necessary officeholder expenses; unlimited transfers to any party committee; donations to charitable organizations; or any lawful purpose other than personal use | Prohibited | ||||||
| Illinois | Must be authorized by chair, treasurer, or their designated agents | May be limited for Citizens Utility Board candidates in exchange for listing in state-sponsored voter’s pamphlet | Only for nomination, election, or retention of a person in public office, or in connection with a public policy question. Law limits certain types of illegal or questionable expenditures and transactions | Comprehensive list of expenditures prohibited | Comprehensive list of expenditures prohibited | |||
| Indiana | Only treasurer may make expenditures | Surplus funds may be transferred to candidate committees, political committees, Indiana Election Commission, political parties, certain tax-exempt organizations, used for continuing political activity or officeholder expenses reasonably related to the expenses of holding elective office, or returned pro rata to contributors | Must be used for campaign, for continuing political activity, activity related to service in an elected office, or contributions to party committees or other candidate committees | Prohibited, except that a candidate may, under a written contract with the candidate’s committee, receive a salary or receive reimbursement for lost wages or salary payments from other employment incurred by the candidate as a result of services provided to the committee. | Prohibited for personal use, except that a candidate may, execute a written contract with the candidate’s committee providing that a member of the candidate’s household may be paid a salary by the candidate’s committee. | |||
| Iowa | Must be through sole depository account | Initial report must account for all funds raised and spent for current election back to beginning of activity, even if in different calendar year. | Public
checkoff funds received by a political party may not be used to lease or purchase any item
whose benefits extend beyond the time in which the funds must be spent. Candidates’ campaign funds may not generally be used to pay civil/criminal penalties; personal debts or expenses; for personal services unrelated to the campaign; most motor vehicle leases and payments; professional organization and most service organization memberships; mortgage or rental payments for the candidate; meals, groceries, and other food not for campaign uses; payments clearly in excess of the fair market value of the service or item. |
Generally
prohibited. Public checkoff funds received by a political party may only be used for legitimate campaign purposes in general elections, including salaries, rent, advertising, supplies, travel, campaign paraphernalia, contributions to general election candidates, and the like. Candidate campaign funds may only be used for legitimate campaign purposes, including salaries, rent, advertising, supplies, travel, campaign paraphernalia, or for constituency services or officeholder expenses. |
Prohibited | Prohibited | ||
| Kansas | Must be by or through treasurer | No expenditures permitted until registration form properly filed | Residual funds must be contributed to a charitable organization, a party committee, to the state general fund, or returned in whole or pro rata to contributors | Must be for legitimate campaign or officeholding expenses | Prohibited | Prohibited | ||
| Kentucky | Treasurer must make or authorize all expenditures on behalf of a candidate | Candidates accepting public financing limited to $1.8 million in a primary election; $300,000 in a primary runoff election; and $1.8 million in a general election, adjusted for inflation | No expenditures permitted until primary campaign depository is designated | Any unexpended balance may be returned pro rata to all contributors, transferred to candidate’s party executive committee, retained for election to the same office, be donated to a §501(c)(3) charity, or escheat to the state treasury | Political
parties receiving tax money may use these funds to support their party's candidates in a
general election, and for administrative costs of maintaining a party headquarters. Case law suggests limited expenditure categories. |
Prohibited | Prohibited | |
| Louisiana | Any person, upon proper notification to treasurer | No expenditures aggregating in excess of $500 may be made by a political committee until statement of organization is properly filed | May
be returned pro rata to contributors; given to a charitable organization; spent for or
against a candidate, political party, or a proposition; used in future political
campaigns; or activity related to a future campaign. Special restrictions on retention and disbursement of funds by judges and judicial candidates. |
Must be related to a political campaign or holding of office | Prohibited, except to replace items stolen, lost, or damaged in connection with a campaign, or for interest to candidate on repayment of a loan to the campaign | Prohibited to spouse or minor children | ||
| Maine | PAC
is limited to expenditures of $5,000 per candidate or political committee per election Publicly financed candidates for governor, state senate, and house of representatives are limited in total spending |
Certain
expenditures made within 10 days before the election to which it relates may be
prohibited. Restrictions on expenditures for liquor on election day. |
Returned pro rata to contributors; used for the candidate’s own future campaigns; transferred to other committees; unrestricted gift to the State; gift to charitable or educational organization; loan repayment or debt retirement of campaign expenses; or payment for expenses incurred in performance of office to which elected; unspent public funds revert to state | Public funds may only be used for campaign-related purposes | ||||
| Maryland | Public funds may only be spent upon authority of candidate or treasurer. Other expenditures must be made through treasurer. | Publicly financed candidates for governor/ lt. governor limited to 30? x qualified voters, adjusted annually on January 1 | No expenditures permitted until registration form is properly filed | Surplus
public funds must be repaid not later than 60 days after the election for which the funds
are granted. Other surplus funds must be returned on a pro rata basis to contributors; paid to a party central committee; donated to a local board of education, recognized non-profit educational or charitable organization; or given to a higher education institution for scholarships |
Public contributions may only be used to further the candidate’s nomination or election, for legal purposes, and for expenses not incurred later than 30 days after the election. | |||
| Massachusetts | Candidate, committee treasurer, or designee | Limits for candidates certified to receive clean election funds, beginning with 2002 election, with differing limits per office and per primary and general election | No committee expenditures permitted until committee is properly organized. Certain testing the waters expenditures permitted | Public financing funds must be spent for expenses directly related to campaign. Other candidates may make expenditures for enhancement of their political future. | Prohibited | Generally prohibited, if for personal use | ||
| Michigan | An expenditure may only be made with the authorization of the treasurer or the treasurer’s designee | Gubernatorial candidates who accept public funds limited to $2 million per election; additional expenditures are authorized in response to editorials, endorsements, etc. Cap may be lifted under certain circumstances. | Surplus
public funds must be promptly repaid and may not be used in a subsequent election. Other
funds may be transferred to another committee of same candidate (with restrictions),
party, legislative caucus committees, tax-exempt charitable institution, or returned to
contributors. Judicial candidate surplus funds must be returned to contributors or donated to state bar client security fund. |
Public funds may only be spent on services, facilities, materials, or other things of value to further the candidate’s election during the election year | Public
funds cannot be used to pay a candidate. No campaign funds may be used to personally benefit a candidate. |
Public
funds may not be expended to someone within the third degree of consanguinity of the
candidate. Judicial candidate campaign funds may be used to pay family members for campaign work, except under certain limited conditions. |
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| Minnesota | Must be authorized by treasurer or deputy treasurer of the committee or fund | Candidates
accepting public subsidies are limited as follows in election years (adjusted each
election year based on CPI; 1998 figures shown): Governor/Lt. Governor: $1,926,127 Attorney General: $321,023 Other statewide office: $160,514 State Senate: $43,150 (1992 figure; to be re-mined March 2000) State Representative: $24,083 Non-election year limits are 20% of election year limits Under certain conditions, expenditures may increase |
Limited
to salaries, wages, and fees; communications, mailing, and transportation and travel;
advertising and printing; office space and furnishings; supplies; and other expenses
reasonably related to the election. Certain expenditures may be designated as permissible noncampaign disbursements by law and Campaign Finance and Public Disclose Board rule |
Prohibited | ||||
| Mississippi | Prohibited for judicial candidates | Discouraged for judicial candidates | Discouraged for family members of judicial candidates | |||||
| Missouri | All expenditures must be made by or through the treasurer | Voluntary limitations ruled unconstitutional | Limitations placed on exploratory committees | Certain committees barred from forming or contributing within 30 days before election | May only be used for specified expenses | Prohibited, except for attorney’s fees in defending certain actions | Prohibited for judges | |
| Montana | Campaign treasurers; deputy campaign treasurers | Voluntary expenditure limit of $150,000 per year by political committees favoring or opposing a ballot issue | ||||||
| Nebraska | Treasurers or assistant treasurers; however, candidates and their agents are also permitted to make expenditures | Expenditure may not be made by a committee raising, receiving, or disbursing more than $5,000 in a calendar year until it files a statement of organization and has a treasurer | After
an election, a committee may expend or transfer funds for continued operation of campaign
offices; social events for workers, volunteers, and constituents; obtaining public input
and opinion; repayment of campaign loans; newsletters and other political communications;
gifts of acknowledgment; and officeholder-related meals, lodging, and travel. After termination of a candidate committee, unexpended funds may be transferred to another candidate committee; a political party committee, a tax-exempt charitable organization; the Campaign Finance Limitation Act Cash Fund; the state or certain political subdivisions; or returned to contributors. |
A committee other than a political party may not expend or transfer funds except for goods, materials, services, or facilities to assist or oppose a candidate for a ballot question | A committee may not make expenditures for the payment of a candidate's clothes, or medical or dental expenses; mortgage or rental payments for the candidate’s permanent residence; installment payments for an auto owned by the candidate; satisfaction of personal debts (excluding reportable campaign loans); or personal services (such as legal or accounting services) | A committee may not make expenditures for the payment of a family member’s clothes, or medical or dental expenses; satisfaction of personal debts (excluding reportable campaign loans); or personal services (such as legal or accounting services) | ||
| Nevada | Elected and defeated candidates and non-candidate officeholders are required to dispose of unspent contributions in a statutorily authorized manner, including return to contributors, contribution for political purpose, and donation to tax-exempt nonprofit entity. Elected candidates may use for present or future campaign expenses or public office expenses. Judicial office candidates are subject to the Code of Judicial Conduct requirements as to the disposition of unspent contributions. Excess of any contribution over $5,000 must be returned to the contributor by candidate defeated in primary. | Prohibited | ||||||
| New Hampshire | Candidate or candidate’s fiscal agent | Candidate may agree to limit campaign expenditures made by candidate and by committees, political party, and immediate family on candidate’s behalf in a primary or general election in accordance with a maximum expenditure schedule | Before a non-party political committee may receive contributions or make expenditures of more than $500, a registration statement must be filed. If the political committee is organized to support a candidate, written consent of the candidate or candidate’s fiscal agent must be secured and filed before making expenditures. | Surplus contributions may be used after general or special election for fundraising or other politically related activity sponsored by the candidate, or for donations to charitable organizations | ||||
| New Jersey | Treasurer or deputy treasurer of a candidate, political party committee, political committee, and continuing political committee | Spending limits for gubernatorial candidates (excluding travel expenses) for 1997 election: $3.1 million in primary and $6.9 million in general election. Spending limits are subject to adjustment prior to election year to reflect changes in campaign costs. Governor candidate receiving public funding is limited to $25,000 in primary and $25,000 in general election from candidate’s personal funds. | Contributions may be used for (1) the payment of campaign expenses, (2) contributions to any charitable organization described in § 170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, or nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation under § 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, (3) transmittal to another candidate, candidate committee, or joint candidates committee or to a political committee, continuing political committee, legislative leadership committee, or political party committee for the lawful use by such other candidate or committee, (4) the payment of the overhead and administrative expenses related to the operation of the candidate committee or joint candidates committee of a candidate or a legislative leadership committee, (5) the pro-rata repayment of contributors, or (6) the payment of ordinary and necessary expenses of holding public office. Gubernatorial candidates limited as to use of public funds. | Prohibited | Prohibited | |||
| New Mexico | Treasurer of candidate or political committee | Treasurer must be appointed and separate bank account established before candidate or political committee may make an expenditure | Judicial candidates must return unused funds to contributors or donate to charitable organization | Prohibited | Prohibited | Prohibited | ||
| New York | Candidate or treasurer of candidate or political committee | Expenditures may not be made by a political committee until the designation of a treasurer and depository have been filed | Surplus campaign funds may be used for any lawful purpose, including transfer to political party committee, return to donor, or holding for use in subsequent campaign | Contributions may be expended for any lawful purpose. | Contributions may not be converted to personal use not related to political campaign or holding public office or party position | |||
| North Carolina | Except for independent expenditures, candidate-related expenditures may be made only through the treasurer or assistant treasurer of a candidate or political committee | Candidates for state constitutional office in general election who qualify for and receive public matching funds are subject to expenditure limit depending on office involved | Except for independent expenditures, candidate-related expenditures may not be made until a treasurer is appointed and certified | |||||
| North Dakota | Judicial candidates may not permit use of campaign funds for private benefit | Judicial candidates may not permit use of campaign funds for private benefit | ||||||
| Northern Marianas | ||||||||
| Ohio | For a campaign committee, only the campaign treasurer and deputy campaign treasurer | Campaign
committee of a statewide or general assembly candidate that fails to file a personal-funds
notice when receipt or expenditure of candidate’s personal funds exceeds reporting
threshold (statewide candidate—$100,000 in primary and $150,000 in general election;
general assembly candidate— $25,000 per election) may not expend personal funds in excess of the threshold amount. |
Candidate
must designate a treasurer before candidate’s campaign committee may receive
contributions or make expenditures. Statewide and general assembly candidates may not make expenditures of personal funds exceeding $500 unless funds are deposited into campaign fund of candidate’s campaign committee. |
Candidate expenditures must be legitimate, verifiable, ordinary, and necessary | Prohibited | Prohibited | ||
| Oklahoma | Treasurer and deputy treasurer of candidate committees and other committees | Surplus funds of state candidate/candidate committee may be disposed of by return to contributors, donation to charitable organization, retention for a future campaign, deposit with the state, defense of campaign legal actions, community activity, political activity, or transfer to political party committee. Other committees and local candidates/committees are authorized to dispose of surplus campaign funds for permitted purposes. | Candidates may use contributions only to defray campaign expenditures or ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with duties of public officeholder | Prohibited | Prohibited | |||
| Oregon | Expenditures must be made by or through the treasurer of a political committee | A candidate or candidate’s principal campaign committee may dispose of excess contributions by (1) using them to defray and ordinary and necessary expenses incurred with duties as an officeholder, (2) transferring them to a political committee of a political party, (3) contributing them to a charitable organization, or (4) using them for any other lawful purpose. | ||||||
| Pennsylvania | For a political committee, the treasurer or appointed assistant treasurer | No expenditure may be made by a political committee until a chair and treasurer have been appointed | Person making an independent expenditure of $500 or more after final pre-election report is completed must report expenditure within 24 hours | After financial activity is terminated, residual funds may be used for lawful expenditures, or returned pro rata to contributors | No candidate, political committee chair, or treasurer may make an expenditure except as provided by law | Judicial candidate should not use contributions for private benefit | Judicial candidate should not use contributions for private benefit of family | |
| Puerto Rico | Limited for candidates for governor and parties using public funding | |||||||
| Rhode Island | Campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer | Unlimited, except for candidate for general office who accepts public funding | No expenditures may be made before the appointment of a treasurer and the filing of such designation | Campaign funds not used to pay for the expenses of gaining or holding public office may (1) be maintained in campaign accounts, (2) be donated to a candidate for public office, a political organization, or a PAC, subject to the statutory limitations on contributions, (3) be transferred in whole or in part to a newly established PAC, (4) be donated to a tax-exempt charitable organization, (5) be donated to the state, or (6) be returned to the donor. | Contributions may not be used to repay more than $200,000 during an election cycle of any cumulative personal loans to campaign by the candidate | Prohibited | Prohibited | |
| South Carolina | Candidates or duly authorized officer of a committee | Disposition of excess of a candidate or committee is restricted to specific recipients and uses | Prohibited | Prohibited | ||||
| South Dakota | Necessary expenditure of money for ordinary or usual expense of conducting a political campaign unless expressly forbidden. Judicial candidates may not use or permit use of contributions for private benefit. | Judicial office candidate should not use for private benefit | Judicial office candidate should not use for private benefit of family members | |||||
| Tennessee | Political treasurer of candidate and political campaign committee | Candidate and political committee are required to certify name and address of political treasurer before making an expenditure in an election | Unexpended contributions must be allocated by authorized method within 60 days after election, including retention or transfer to any campaign fund, return to contributors, distributed to candidate’s party, used for officeholder expenses, and distributed for other designated purposes | Clerical/office force; dissemination of literature; public speakers; newspaper announcements of candidacy; and transportation of voters unable to go to the polls | Prohibited | Judicial office candidate should not use for private benefit of family members | ||
| Texas | Candidate for candidate’s own election; political committee; campaign treasurer or assistant campaign treasurer acting in an official capacity; and an individual who makes independent, unreimbursed expenditures | Voluntary limits on aggregate expenditures per election for judicial candidates: statewide judicial office—$2 million; office of chief justice or justice of the court of appeals— $500,000 if the population of the judicial district is more than 1 million, or $350,000 if the population of the judicial district is 1 million or less; and other non-statewide judicial offices—$350,000 if the population of the judicial district is more than 1 million, $200,000 if the population of the judicial district is 250,000 to 1 million, and $100,000 if the population of the judicial district is less than 250,000. | Candidates may not make or authorize expenditures before filing a campaign treasurer appointment. Specific-purpose political committees may not make expenditures that exceed $500 without filing a campaign treasurer appointment. Specific-purpose and general-purpose political committees, other than political party county executive committees, may not make expenditures totaling more than $500 to support or oppose a candidate for statewide office, state legislature, state board of education, or multi-county district office unless a campaign treasurer appointment was filed at least 30 days before the election. General-purpose political committees, other than political party county executive committees, may not make expenditures exceeding $500 unless a campaign treasurer appointment was filed at least 60 days before the expenditures and the committee has accepted contributions from at least 10 persons. | Use
of public funds for political advertising prohibited. State agency may not use funds under its control to support candidate. Payment from contributions for personal services of candidate, officeholder, or family restricted. Reimbursement of personal funds for expenditures by and repayment of loans made by relatives of a candidate to a candidate or officeholder limited to an aggregate of $500,000 per election for governor and $250,000 per election for other statewide office. |
Contributions may not be converted to the personal use of a candidate or officeholder. Specific purpose political committee also may not convert contributions to the personal use of a former candidate or officeholder. Expenditures from personal funds may be reimbursed from contributions. | Payment from contributions for personal services of candidate’s family restricted. | ||
| Utah | Candidate and the secretary of a personal campaign committee in the case of a candidate for state executive office. A committee member may not make an expenditure over $1,000 without written authorization by candidate or committee secretary. | State office candidate must file a statement of appointment of personal campaign committee before the committee may make expenditures | Expenditures prohibited by law may not be made | Judicial candidates may not use contributions for candidate's private benefit | Judicial candidates may not use contributions for private benefit of family members | |||
| Vermont | Designated treasurer | Expenditures
are limited in 2-year general election cycle: governor non-incumbent—$300,000,
incumbent—$225,000; lt. governor non-incumbent—$100,000, incumbent—$85,000; secretary of state, state treasurer, auditor of accounts, att’y gen’l non-incumbent—$45,000, incumbent—$38,250; state senator non-incumbent—$4,000 plus $2,500 for each add’tl seat in the senate district, incumbent—$3,600 plus $2,250 for each add’tl seat in the senate district; state rep (single-member district) non-incumbent— $2,000, incumbent— $1,800; state rep (two-member district) non-incumbent—$3,000, incumbent—$2,700; county office (all candidates)—$4,000 |
Existing surplus may be contributed and existing debts assigned to new fund | Conversion of surplus funds to personal use is prohibited, but candidate may use such funds to reduce personal campaign debts | ||||
| Virgin Islands | May not be made in absence of treasurer and requires authorization by certain officials | Triggers organizational report filing | Must be related to the campaign | |||||
| Virginia | Candidate must appoint one campaign treasurer not later than upon acceptance of a contribution. | After filing of final report, surplus funds may be used in a succeeding election; returned to contributors; donated to a § 170 organization; contributed to other candidates or committees, including a political party committee; or used to defray unreimbursable elective office expense of candidate | Prohibited | Prohibited | Prohibited | |||
| Washington | Campaign treasurer, candidate, or person on authority of campaign treasurer or candidate | Surplus funds may be disposed of by return to the contributors in an amount not to exceed the original contributions, transfer to the candidate’s personal account for reimbursement for lost earnings during the campaign, donation to a registered charitable organization, transmittal to the state, retention for a future campaign for the same office, transferred to a political party or caucus political committee, or payment of non-reimbursed public-office-related expenses. | Contributions may be transferred to the personal account of a candidate or expended for candidate’s personal use for reimbursement for loans to cover lost earnings while campaigning or performing services for the political committee and for direct out-of-pocket expenses, or repayment of loans made to political committee. Candidates may not be reimbursed more than $3,800 per election for loans made to their own campaigns. | Contributions may be transferred to the personal account of a candidate or expended for candidate’s personal use for reimbursement for loans to cover lost earnings while campaigning or performing services for the political committee and for direct out-of-pocket expenses, or repayment of loans made to political committee. Candidates may not be reimbursed more than $3,800 per election for loans made to their own campaigns. | ||||
| West Virginia | Candidates, financial agents, and political committee treasurers | No person may act as treasurer or financial agent before filing designation. Political party may not disburse money for election expenses unless treasurer is appointed. | Per
regulation, excess campaign assets may be disposed of by transfer to new candidate
committee; contribution to political party committee or candidate; or returned to
contributors on a pro rata basis. Per statute, excess funds may be transferred by a terminating political committee to another committee for the same candidate. Per statute, excess contributions may be used in connection with duties as a public officeholder; contributed to a charitable organization; or transferred to a political party committee, or, effective 7/2/00, to any candidate for public office. |
Generally, lawful payments for political expenses; rent, maintenance, and furnishing of political headquarters or office; payment of support staff; political advertising and advertising agency services; public meeting-related expenses; travel, lodging, and administrative expenses; nominating petition costs; prevention of unlawful registration of voters; voter transportation; and public polls; nominal non-cash post-election expressions of appreciation; and political party dues/ subscriptions; and contributions to in-state party committees. Judicial candidates may not use or permit use of contributions for private benefit. | Prohibited, except for reimbursement of election expenses. Use of excess campaign assets for personal economic benefit is prohibited. | |||
| Wisconsin | Treasurer of a candidate, political committee, political group, or individual | State office candidates who receive election campaign fund grant may not expend more for a campaign than amount specified in the authorized disbursement schedule unless opponents not accepting grant do not agree to comply with the limit voluntarily | Disbursements may not be made by candidate or personal campaign committee, political committee, political group, or individual before registration statement is filed and campaign depository account established | Residual funds may be used for any political purpose not prohibited by law, returned to the donor, or donated to a charitable organization or the common school fund | Expenditures
may be made for any lawful purpose. Contributions must be used for a political purpose. |
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| Wyoming | Permissible use disposition of excess campaign funds not specified | Candidate for judicial office may not use contributions for private benefit of candidate | Candidate for judicial office may not use contributions for private benefit of family | |||||
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