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Help
for Campaign Finance Reports:
Frequently Asked Questions
Who files campaign finance reports?
Candidates for public office and
political committees must file campaign finance reports.
Also, anyone spending money independently to influence an election must
also file.
Candidates:
- Federal candidates file campaign finance
reports with the Federal Election Commission and no longer file paper reports
with the Secretary of State. To see reports for federal
candidates, go to www.fec.gov.
- Candidates for statewide offices, legislative
offices, multi-county judicial offices, the the Greater Huntington Park and
Recreation District file reports with the Secretary of State.
- Candidates for party executive
committee are not required to file campaign finance reports.
- In presidential election years,
candidates for delegate to national convention file with the
Secretary of State.
- County candidates and single-county
judicial candidates file with the county clerk.
- Federal candidates file campaign finance
reports with the Federal Election Commission. Starting with the 2000 elections, reports for
federal candidates on the ballot in West Virginia were available on the FEC web
site, and those candidates not file paper reports with the Secretary of State. To see reports for federal
candidates, go to www.fec.gov.
PACs:
- Federal political action committees that contribute to state or
multi-county district candidates must file reports with the Secretary of
State relating to contributions to state and district candidates and all contributions received
from West Virginia residents.
- All federal political action committees file reports with the Federal Election Commission.
To see reports for these federal political action committees, go to www.fec.gov.
- State political action committees and county executive committees
file with the Secretary of State.
- Political action committees
that are only active within a county and make no contributions to
multi-county candidates or issues file reports with the
county clerk.
- Municipal candidates and municipal political action committees only
active in elections within the municipality file with the
municipal clerk/recorder.
Independent Spenders:
- A person spending his or her own
personal funds to support or oppose a candidate
or ballot issue must file an independent expenditure report. The filing goes to the same office where the
a campaign finance filing for that candidate or committee influencing a ballot issue would file.
- A corporation or business spending its own funds to support or oppose
a ballot issue must file an independent expenditure report with the Secretary of State for a statewide issue
or with the county clerk for a county ballot issue.
Which
offices and organizations have reports on this site?
The list below shows
every position that may be on the ballot in West Virginia,
depending on the election year, and where to see
those reports. NOT ALL REPORTS are available on this
site! Listings include pre-candidates who did not file for
office.
| Office/Position |
On
this site! |
Not
on this site! |
| President |
|
Go
to www.fec.gov |
| U.S.
Senate |
|
Go
to www.fec.gov |
| U.S.
House of Representatives |
|
Go
to www.fec.gov |
| Governor |
Yes! |
|
| Secretary
of State |
Yes! |
|
| Auditor |
Yes! |
|
| State
Treasurer |
Yes! |
|
| Commissioner
of Agriculture |
Yes! |
|
| Attorney
General |
Yes! |
|
| Justice
of the Supreme Court of Appeals |
Yes! |
|
| State
Senate |
Yes! |
|
| House
of Delegates |
Yes! |
|
| Circuit
Judge -- multi-county circuits |
Yes! |
See Judicial
Circuits to get details of districts which
include more than one county. |
| Circuit
Judge -- single-county circuits |
|
Filed
with the County Clerk. See Judicial Circuits
to get details of districts which
include only one county. |
| Family
Court Judge -- multi-county circuits |
Yes! |
See Judicial
Circuits to get details of districts which
include more than one county. |
| Family
Court Judge -- single-county circuits |
|
Filed
with the County Clerk. See Judicial Circuits
to get details of districts which
include only one county. |
| Huntington
Park & Recreation District |
Yes! |
|
| Delegate
to National Convention |
|
No.
Not posted. |
| Member of
Executive Committee |
|
No.
Not required. |
| |
|
|
| County
Commission |
|
Filed
with County Clerk. |
| Prosecuting
Attorney |
|
Filed
with County Clerk. |
| Sheriff |
|
Filed
with County Clerk. |
| Assessor |
|
Filed
with County Clerk. |
| Magistrate |
|
Filed
with County Clerk. |
| Surveyor |
|
Filed
with County Clerk. |
| Board
of Education |
|
Filed
with County Clerk. |
| County
Executive Committee |
|
Not required. |
|
|
|
| Federal
Political Action Committees |
|
Go
to www.fec.gov |
| State
Political Action Committees and |
Yes! |
|
| County
Political Action Committees |
|
Filed
with County Clerk. |
What
are the reporting requirements?
For detailed information
about reporting requirements, go to Campaign
Finance Reporting Requirements.
When are reports
due?
Go to Campaign Finance
Calendar for the current year deadlines.
The reporting schedule for campaign finance
reports is set by law. In an election year, candidates may have to file as many as six
reports. The first report in an election year is due on the last Saturday in March or
within 15 days thereafter. The pre-primary report is due seven to 10 days before the
primary election. The post-primary report is due 25 to 30 days after the primary election.
The first general election report is
due the last Saturday in September or within 15 days thereafter. The
pre-general report is due seven to 10 days before the general election.
The post-general report is due 25 to 30 days after the general election.
Independent spenders who make last-minute expenditures in excess of
$1,000 in the last seven days before the election must fax a report
within 24 hours.
What information is on the report?
Campaign finance reports list the amount of
money in the campaign account, and the amount of money received and spent during the
reporting period. The reports include the names of contributors to the campaign and the
amount they gave. All expenditures, including the business or person paid,
the purpose and the
amount are listed. If the candidate's campaign received a loan, that information is also
included.
For people who contribute more than
$250.00, reports must also include the contributor's address, occupation and place of
employment.
Can I search by contributor name?
No, this information is not stored in a
database. If you are interested in contributors to
a particular candidate, you may look at that candidate's report and see who is listed
as a contributor.
Can I download contributions by a
particular contributor?
No, this information is not stored in a database. You may, however, print out contributor lists for a candidate
from the contribution pages of the report.
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