Converting to a multicandidate committee
A former candidate’s principal campaign committee can become a multicandidate political action committee (PAC) as an alternative to terminating the committee. To change the committee type, the committee must amend its Statement of Organization, Form 1.
After the conversion, the committee remains responsible for resolving outstanding obligations, such as debts and unrefunded impermissible contributions. The committee must also address Requests for Additional Information that were received before it converted.
Note that principal campaign committees of active candidates cannot qualify as multicandidate committees.
Changing the committee’s registration
A candidate committee changes to a multicandidate committee by amending the Statement of Organization, Form 1. The committee must amend the Form 1 to:
- Change the committee’s name. A PAC’s name should not include the candidate’s name.
- Update the committee type.
- Amend any other information that has changed.
Changing the committee's name and information
The committee amends the Statement of Organization to become a political action committee. In Box 1, it changes its name to “Virginians for Change PAC” and no longer includes the candidate’s name in its committee name. The committee also updates its email and web addresses. The committee includes its original committee identification number, C00100005.
Updating the committee type
On the second page of the Statement of Organization, Virginians for Change PAC updates the committee’s type, checking the box 5(f) to show that it is now a nonconnected political action committee.
Registering multicandidate status
A political action committee may register as a multicandidate committee when it has been registered at least 6 months, has more than 50 contributors, and has made contributions to at least 5 candidates for federal office.
To register its multicandidate status, the committee will file a Notification of Multicandidate Status, Form 1M. The committee can use the length of time it was registered before changing committee types, the number of contributions it made in the past, and the number of contributions it received in the past to qualify for multicandidate status.
Learn how to report using the Form 1M.
Changing reporting forms
After converting to a multicandidate committee, the committee follows the filing schedule for unauthorized committees and reports using the Form 3X.
Reporting with FECFile
Your campaign finance analyst or the Electronic Filing Office can assist you in converting a principal campaign committee to a multicandidate committee.
Contact your campaign finance analyst
1-800-424-9530, menu option 5 or 202-694-1130
Contact the Electronic Filing Office 1-800-424-9530, menu option 4, 202-694-1307 or eFiletechsupport@fec.gov
