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

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 for clean election candidates and their non-participating opponents

Limited to less than $500 prior to registering committee; limits also placed on qualifying contributions and seed money for  candidates seeking clean elections funding

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 (such a transaction may also be treated as a loan under certain circumstances).

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

Voluntary expenditure limits for state candidates who wish to purchase space in state ballot pamphlet

Restricted

Permitted with special disclosure

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

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; may be transferred in limited amounts, to another committee for another office of the same candidate

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

May only be used for the purpose of financing, directly or indirectly, the election campaign of a candidate

Prohibited

Prohibited

Florida

Only campaign treasurers or deputy treasurers

Publicly financed candidates and those agreeing to voluntary limits (adjuisted for inflation):

 $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); 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; and officeholder-related expenses

Must be related to a campaign purpose, including donations to community, youth, social or recreational organizations; reports, surveys, and polls

Prohibited

Generally prohibited, and 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 information  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 certain 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