Campaign finance requirements for Washington judicial elections
Contents |
General requirements
Authorized Committee
Any campaign committee authorized by a judicial candidate is defined by Washington state law as a authorized committee[1]
Candidate
Any person who has filed papers and is running for judicial office is considered to be a candidate[2]
Statement of organization
Every authorized committee of a judicial candidate within two weeks after its organization or within two weeks after the date when it first has the expectation of receiving contributions or making expenditures in any election campaign must file a statement of organization on the earlier of the two requirements. This document must be filed with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission and with the County Auditor/Elections Officer of the county in which the candidate resides[3].
Campaign finance requirements
Corporate/labor contributions
Washington State allows all corporations and labor unions to donate to judicial elections. All corporations and labor unions are limited to $1,600[4].
Contribution limits
Washington has a strict $1,600 contribution limit. This limits is for all individuals, political action committees, corporations, and unions[4].
Mandatory electronic filing
In Washington State, any authorized committee that expects to expend $10,000 in the current year are required to file campaign finance reports electronically. The Washington PDC gives free training for authorized committees to help in compliance towards these reports[5].
Reporting requirements and reports
Washington State uses a frequent reporting system in which judicial campaigns file campaign finance reports more often than a traditional quarterly or semi-annual system.
C1pc Report
The C1pc report is a the official Statement of Organization report form that must filed by a judicial campaign committee. This form lists the purpose of the committee, reporting options, treasurer's name, relationships with other political committees or candidates, committee officers, and name of financial institution. This form must be filed within the normal filing deadline for authorized committees[6].
C3 Report
The C3 report is separate from form C4. Under the C3 report it lists all the cash receipts during a campaign for a judicial campaign committee. This form is used to report names of contributors, amounts, addresses, occupation, and employer[7].
C4 Report
The C4 report is the overall campaign finance reporting form for Washington State judicial campaign committees. The form is used to report total contributions and expenditures for defined period and overall campaign. This report is due monthly along pre-election reports seven and twenty-one days before the election[8].
Form F1
Form F1 is an official financial affairs statement required for judicial candidates in the State of Washington highlighting a candidate's economic interests. This must be done within two weeks of announcing a candidacy[9].
The following reports are due on the following dates:
- January 10, 2010-Monthly C4 report due
- February 10, 2010-Monthly C4 report due
- March 10, 2010-Monthly C4 report due
- April 10, 2010-Monthly C4 report due
- May 10, 2010-Monthly C4 report due
- June 10, 2010-Monthly C4 report due
- July 10, 2010-Monthly C4 report due
- July 27, 2010-21 Day pre-primary report.
- August 10, 2010-7 day pre-primary report.
- September 10, 2010-Monthly C4 report due.
- October 12, 2010-21 day pre-general report.
- October 26, 2010-7 day pre-general report.
- December 10, 2010-Post-general report[10].
Campaign advertising restrictions
Under Washington state law, any advertising for judicial candidates is subject to disclosure standards. All written political advertising, whether relating to candidates shall include the sponsor's name and address. All radio and television political advertising relating to ballot propositions, shall include the sponsor's name[11].
All independent expenditure advertising for judicial elections must have a disclaimer that says: "NOTICE TO VOTERS: This advertisement is not authorized or approved by any candidate. It is paid for by (name, address, city, state)"[12].
Terminating a committee
In Washington, when a judicial campaign committee is dissolved, campaigns can use their surplus funds to:
- Return the surplus funds to a contributor in an amount not to exceed that contributor's original contribution.
- Transfer the surplus funds to the candidate's personal account as reimbursement for lost earnings incurred as a result of that candidate's election campaign. Such lost earnings are rendered as unpaid salary or if not salaried, as an amount not to exceed income received by the candidate for services rendered during an appropriate, corresponding time period. All lost earnings incurred shall be documented and must be recorded by the campaign's treasurer.
- Transfer the surplus without limit to a political party or to a caucus political committee.
- Donate the surplus to a charitable organization registered by the State of Washington.
- Transmit the surplus to the Washington State Treasurer for deposit in the general fund, the oral history, state library, and archives account, or the legislative international trade account under Washington Law.
- Hold the surplus campaign funds in a separate account for non-reimbursed public office-related expenses and report any such activity to the Washington PDC[13].
External links
- Official website of the Washington Public Disclosure Commission
- Laws governing election disclosures in Washington
- Washington campaign finance disclosure database
- 2010 Washington Campaign Finance manual
- Campaign Disclosure Project
References
- ↑ Washington State Legislature "Washington Campaign Finance law"(Referenced Statute 42.17.020(3), Washington State Statutes)
- ↑ Washington State Legislature "Washington Campaign Finance law"(Referenced Statute 42.17.020(9), Washington State Statutes)
- ↑ Washington State Legislature "Washington Campaign Finance Law"(Referenced Statute Revised Code of Washington 42.17.040)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Washington State Public Disclosure Commission "Contribution Limits Table"
- ↑ Washington State Legislature "Washington Campaign Finance Law"(Referenced Statute Revised Code of Washington 42.17.3691(2))
- ↑ Washington PDC ""Reporting Forms and Types"(See C1pc)
- ↑ Washington PDC ""Reporting Forms and Types"(See C3)
- ↑ Washington PDC ""Reporting Forms and Types"(See C4)
- ↑ Washington PDC "Local/Judicial Candidate Resources"
- ↑ Washington Public Disclosure Commission "2010 Reporting Calendar"
- ↑ Washington Legislature "Washington Campaign Finance Law"(Referenced Statute RCW 42.17.510(1))
- ↑ Washington Legislature "Washington Campaign Finance Law"(Referenced Statute RCW 42.17.510(2))
- ↑ Washington State Legislature "Washington Campaign Finance Law"(Referenced Statute RCW 42.17.095(1)-(7)
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