General Instructions
Who Files Where | When to File | How to File | Candidate & Committee Information
After the Campaign | Summary
With the Secretary of State
|
With the County Clerk
|
With the Municipal Recorder
|
- All candidates for statewide office, State Senate, House of Delegates, or any multi-county district.
- Candidates for Delegate to National Convention are not exempt, and even if no money is spent to campaign, at least the filing fee must be listed on the report.
- Candidates for state party executive committees in non-presidential election years are not required to file.
|
-
All candidates for offices on the ballot in a single county (except for the State Senate and House of Delegates), including county offices and single-county judicial circuits.
-
Candidates for county and district party executive committees in non-presidential years are not required to file.
|
- All candidates for municipal office on the ballot.
|
- All financial agents for candidates, treasurers for candidates' committees, political party committees, and political action committees who support any candidates in statewide, legislative or other multi-county races.
|
- All financial agents for candidates, treasurers for candidates' committees, and political action committees who support candidates or issues only within one county (other than for the Legislature).
|
- All financial agents for candidates, treasurers for candidates' committees, and political action committees who support candidates or issues only within the municipality.
|
- All persons who spend personal funds independently and without a candidate or committee's knowledge to advocate or oppose the nomination, election or defeat of any candidate for statewide or multi-county office, or the passage or defeat of any issue to be voted on in more than one county. (Form F-7B)
|
- All persons who spend personal funds independently and without a candidate or committee's knowledge to advocate or oppose the nomination, election or defeat of any candidate, or the passage or defeat of any issue to be voted on in only one county. (Form F-7B)
|
- Any candidate, committee or person making an independent expenditure in conjunction with a municipal election must file with the municipal recorder. (Form F-7B)
|
Candidates, their agents or committees must file all reports in the election year in which they are on the ballot, and annual reports until they repay all loans and/or disburse excess funds and file a final report. Candidates who lose the primary election must file financial reports for the general election if they have outstanding loans or bills, or have money left in their campaign.
Political action committees and party executive committees must file reports at each filing period from the date they begin activity until they formally dissolve the committee by filing a final report and a Statement of Dissolution (Form F-6).
Consultants, advertising agents and persons who disburse money for candidates or committees, and persons who make independent expenditures must file for any reporting period in which they have received or spent money.
Reports for 2010 must be filed during the range of dates shown below-- the report due dates. The second date in each period is the deadline date, and any report received after that date is overdue. The reports will cover all transactions occurring during the reporting periods.
| Report |
Reporting Period
2010 if not specified |
Reports Due
2010 if not specified |
Primary - First
or Annual |
April 4,2009 -
March 26, 2010 |
March 27, 2010 -
April 2, 2010 |
| Pre-Primary |
March 27, 2010 -
April 25, 2010 |
April 26, 2010 -
April 30, 2010 |
| Post-Primary |
April 26, 2010 -
May 23, 2010 |
May 24, 2010 -
June 23, 2010 |
| General-First |
May 24, 2010 -
September 19, 2010 |
September 20, 2010 -
September 24, 2010 |
| Pre-General |
September 20, 2010 -
October 17, 2010 |
October 18, 2010 -
October 22, 2010 |
| Post-General |
October 18, 2010 -
November 14, 2010 |
November 15, 2010 -
December 15, 2010 |
| 2011 Annual for 2010 candidates & committees |
November 15, 2010 -
March 25, 2011 |
March 26, 2011 -
April 1, 2011 |
| 2011 Annual for candidates in past elections with open accounts |
March 27, 2010 -
March 25, 2011 |
March 26, 2011 -
April 1, 2011 |
Annual reports are mandatory filings if the total of all receipts and expenditures (added together) exceed $500. Even if the total amount is less than the threshold, it's wise to either file a report or file a waiver (Form F-12) so the public knows the campaign is reporting properly.
Candidates and political action committee have several options on how to file campaign finance reports. They may be submitted to the proper filing officer in a variety of formats.
US Mail
Campaign finance reporting forms may be mailed to the appropriate filing officer during the reporting period. The forms may be received no earlier than the first day of the filing period and post marked no later than the last day of the filing period.
Fax
Campaign finance reports may be faxed to the appropriate filing officer during the filing period. If the report is sent by fax it must be followed by an original form with the appropriate signatures. The original form must be post marked or received by the filing official within 24 hours of the fax being sent. Campaign finance reports may not be accepted by email at this time.
Online
Online reporting is currently available only to candidates or committees filing with the Secretary of State’s Office. Campaign Finance Reporting System (CFRS) is a program which allows candidates and committees to keep online campaign finance files which may be submitted electronically through the Secretary of State’s website.
On the filing information page, complete all details.
-
Be sure to enter the candidate's name as it will appear on the ballot.
-
Enter the committee name and treasurer's name and address information as it was listed on the committee organization statement.
-
If the treasurer or financial agent resigns, the new treasurer appointment or changes must be filed in writing on form F-5 (Notice of Change of Treasurer). Until this is done, the former treasurer is still responsible for filing financial reports and can be held accountable if reports are not filed or if reports have errors.
To end your filing responsibilities, you must complete these steps:
1. Repay all loans, outstanding bills and/or disburse any excess funds (see WV Legislative Rule §146-3-7). Candidates: if you must use personal funds to pay off these debts, be sure to list that amount as a contribution. No report can end with a negative balance!
2. When your campaign account has a zero balance, and all loans and bills are paid, you can file a final report.
3. To file a final report, complete the report for the current reporting period and check FINAL. List any contributions or expenditures since your last report. Report the repayment of any loans. Make sure the Summary shows a zero balance. . When closing a campaign or committee account,you may file a final report before the filing date.
4. For political action committees, file Form F-6, the Statement of Dissolution of a Committee, at the same time the final campaign finance report is filed.
Receipts: Enter the totals for each type of receipt (itemized contributions, fundraisers and other receipts) to the summary page. On your first report for the current campaign or election year, enter the same amount in the year-to-date column. On all later reports, the year-to-date column is the total of the previous year-to-date and the current period.
Expenditures: Enter the total expenditures, and complete the year-to-date column.
Loans & Unpaid Bills: Receipts of new loans and repayment of old loans and total unpaid bills are not included in the balance summary because they would inflate your total campaign activity. However, the status of loans must be shown in this section by carrying forward the amounts from your loan schedule and unpaid bills.
Balance: The beginning balance is zero on the first report. On all other reports it must equal the ending balance on the last report.