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Q: Where can I get a copy of the Minnesota
Statutes Chapter 10A, Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board Rules,
and/or other election laws?
A: You may obtain a copy of Chapter 10A and the Board's Rules from
our website under the Statutes and Rules
bookmark. Our website contains links to other departments and agencies
such as the Minnesota Secretary of State, Minnesota Department of
Revenue, and the Federal Elections Commission. The Minnesota Book Store
sells spiral bound copies of the law and rules for approximately $12.00
(plus shipping and handling if you are unable to pick one up in person).
Q: When and how do I file
reports?
A: Candidate Committees, Political Committees, Political Funds,
and Political Party Units file with our office three times (pre-primary,
pre-general, year-end) during election years and once (year-end) during
non-election years
Lobbyists file two times a
year - January 15 and June 15.
Lobbyist Principals report
to our office annually in March.
Public & Local Officials
file a Statement of Economic Interest at the time of filing for office or
when appointed and then annually on April 15th if there are changes from
the previous filing.
All reports may be filed
with our office by mail or fax. Candidate Committees, Political
Committees, Political Funds, and Political Party Units who use our
software also have the option to file with our office electronically.
Q: How can I get a copy
of someone's/entity's report?
A: If you would like to view a report filed with our office, you
may do so in person, free of charge. If you would like to make a copy of
that report, it is 10 cents a side or if you need us to copy and send the
report to you, it is 50 cents a side and must be pre-paid. If a
committee, individual, or other entity has terminated with our office,
you may want to call ahead to be sure we have the file. Depending on the
termination date, at times we need to call to have files pulled from
Records Retention, or we may need to direct you to the History Center.
Q: Where can I get copies of your forms?
A: You may receive blank forms from our office in person, from our
website, via fax, or via mail.
Q: How do I get to your
office?
A: We are located at Suite
190, Centennial Office Building, 658 Cedar Street, St. Paul, Minnesota. Click here for more
detailed directions and a map. Please be sure to check in at the
Security Desk on the Ground Floor to obtain a visitor's badge before
entering our office.
Q: Where can I park once
I am there?
A: Two-hour parking meters are available on both sides of Cedar Street in front of the Centennial Building and three-hour meters are available on the Orange
Level of the Centennial Parking Ramp behind the building. All meters use
quarters.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Q: Is there a
registration fee?
A: There is no fee to register with the Minnesota Campaign Finance
and Public Disclosure Board for either the Campaign Finance or Lobbyist
programs.
Q: What do I need to do to register with your office? What is the
process?
A: All Candidate Committees, Political Committees, Political
Funds, and Party Units need to have a bank account opened, BEFORE they
register with our office. Once you have done that, a Registration and
Statement of Organization form may be filled out and filed with us.
Lobbyists need to fill out a
Lobbyist Registration form. Please be sure to fill out the lobbying
subjects and the board of directors sections.
Lobbyist Associations do not
register with us. However, they do file a report once a year.
Public official's Notice of
Appointment or Affidavit of Candidacy serve as the official registration
in the Economic Interest Program.
Q: How do I amend my
committee's information to show change of officers or addresses?
A: All amendments must be in writing. You may mark the amendment
box on the appropriate registration form for you or your entity. Provide
us with your registration number and fill out the sections that have
changed. You may also amend by letter. The information may be filed via
mail or fax.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE PROGRAM
Q: When registering a
candidate committee, what if I don't have a treasurer yet?
A: You need to list someone as chair and as treasurer even if it's
yourself. You may later amend your registration to update information
that has changed.
Q: Do I need to have a bank account opened up before I register a
principal campaign committee?
A: Yes
Q: If I want to run for another office, do I need to form a new
committee or may I use the same committee already registered?
A: You need to register a separate committee and open a separate
bank account.
Q: May I contribute money from my old committee to my new committee?
A: Yes. However, to contribute from one committee to another the
contributing committee has to close out (terminate) in the same reporting
period the contribution was made.
Q: When I attend Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board
training, may my committee reimburse me for lost wages?
A: No. Staff offers classes on nights, weekends, and at non-metro
locations.
Q: May money paid to a party through the tax check off be used for
delegate convention expenses?
A: No, funds from the income tax check off may only be spent on
multi-candidate expenses. See Minn. Stat. §10A.275.
Q: Do I categorize and report Christmas Cards as campaign
expenditures?
A: Yes.
Q: May a principal campaign committee accept contributions from a
campaign committee in another state or from a committee of a person
running for city council?
A: No. Contributions may be accepted from a candidate's personal
funds. Minn. Stat. §10A.27, subd. 9(d).
Q: If I give a contribution to a candidate during the reporting period
and they return it during the same reporting period, how do I report
that?
A: It is not reported if the contribution was returned within 60
days. If it is returned greater than 60 days, show the contribution going
out on the proper schedule and in the same block show the date of the
return and the amount being returned.
Q: Do receipt books cost anything and how do I go about getting them?
A: No, Receipt Books do not cost anything.
If you are a candidate with
a valid Public Subsidy Agreement, you are eligible to receive Receipt
Books. If you are uncertain if we have an agreement filed for your
committee, you may check the list of Registered Candidates' Principal
Campaign Committees on our website. If there is a "Yes" in the
Public Subsidy column for your name and committee, then we do have a
current agreement filed for you.
If you are a registered
Political Party Unit, recognized by one of the major parties, you are
also eligible to receive Receipt Books. For the 2006 Election Year, the
major Minnesota parties are Democrat, Republican, and Independence parties.
Q: How much may a person
contribute to a political committee or political fund (including
parties)?
A: There is no limit on what may be contributed to a political
committee, political fund, or political party unit.
Q: If a labor union has a registered lobbyist, may the union donate money
to a political party unit and what is the limit?
A: The union must have registered a political fund with the Board
in order to donate more than $100. Once registered, there is no limit on
contributions to political party units.
Q: What is the amount a
political party unit can give to a federal candidate?
A: Contributions for federal candidates do not fall within the
scope of the Board's jurisdiction. Contributions to federal candidates
are reported as expenditures (not contributions). You may call the
Federal Elections Commission at 800-424-9530 for further information on
limits to federal candidates.
LOBBYIST
PROGRAM
Q: Does a lobbyist have
to send in a registration form every year?
A: No, once registered, lobbyist registration continues until a termination
report is filed.
Q: May a lobbyist get a contribution refund?
A: Yes, lobbyists may receive a $50 political contribution refund
each year.
Q: The lobbyist for our organization owes $200 for late filing fees.
Who should pay the late filing fee?
A: The lobbyist is personally responsible to pay late filing fees.
If the organization the lobbyist represents chooses to pay the fee they
may do so. Because lobbying is not related to the conduct of an election
campaign, the PAC should not pay the fee.
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