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Summary Guide to Candidacy and Campaign Finance Laws

Please reference the contribution chart for contribution and transfer limits in an election cycle.

Table of Contents

Revised: August, 2010

The Summary Guide is also available as one PDF file (1.3Mbytes). Forms are included. (What is PDF?)

Chapter 1 - Introduction And Overview

  • 1.1 Message From The Director
  • 1.2 Definitions
  • 1.3 General Information
  • 1.4 Municipal Elections Not Covered
  • 1.5 Division Of Candidacy And Campaign Finance Staff
  • 1.6 Information Technology Staff
  • 1.7 County Boards Of Elections
  • 1.8 Declaratory Rulings

Chapter 2 - Candidates

  • 2.1 Qualifications
  • 2.2 Filings Requirements - Generally
  • 2.3 Filing Requirements - Write-in Candidates
  • 2.4 Filing Requirements - Petition Candidates
  • 2.5 Filing Requirements - Non-Principal Party Candidates
  • 2.6 Filing Requirements - Federal Candidates
  • 2.7 Candidates for Governor
  • 2.8 Other Responsibilities And Liabilities of a Candidate

Chapter 3 - Establishing and Closing a Political Committee

  • 3.1 Establishing a Political Committee - Statement Of Organization
  • 3.2 When to does a Political Committee Need to be Established
  • 3.3 When to Close a Political Committee
  • 3.4 How to Close a Political Committee

Chapter 4 - Candidate Committees and Slates

  • 4.1 Candidate Committees
  • 4.2 Testing the Waters/Exploratory Committees
  • 4.3 Slates

Chapter 5 - PACs, Ballot Issue Committees, and Party Central Committees

  • 5.1 Political Action Committees (PACs)
  • 5.2 Ballot Issue Committees
  • 5.3 Ballot Petition Effort
  • 5.4 Party Central Committees
  • 5.5 Forming a Political Party

Chapter 6 - Out-of-State Political Committee

  • 6.1 Out-Of-State Political Committee
  • 6.2 Federal Committees
  • 6.3 Other Political Organizations

Chapter 7 Committee Officers

  • 7.1 Who can serve as an officer
  • 7.2 Duties and Responsibilities of the Treasurer
  • 7.3 Duties and Responsibilities of the Chairman
  • 7.4 How to Resign

Chapter 8 - Contributions and Transfers

  • 8.1 The Difference Between Contributions and Transfers
  • 8.2 Contribution Limits
  • 8.3 Transfer Limits
  • 8.4 In-Kind Contributions and Independent Expenditures
  • 8.5 Ticket Purchases
  • 8.6 Contributions by Business Entities
  • 8.7 Transfers by Affiliated Political Committees
  • 8.8 Form of Payment (cash, check, or charge)
  • 8.9 Determining When a Contribution is Received
  • 8.10 Prohibited Contributions and Transfers
  • 8.11 Reciepts
  • 8.12 Contributions by the Candidate
  • 8.13 Raffles and Wheels
  • 8.14 Payroll Deductions
  • 8.15 Collection by Membership Entities
  • 8.16 Administrative Contributions (Party Central Committees and PACs Only)
  • 8.17 Contributions by Minors

Chapter 9 - Expenditures

  • 9.1 Generally
  • 9.2 How to Make Expenditures
  • 9.3 Petty Cash
  • 9.4 Expenditures to Federal Candidates and Committees
  • 9.5 Expenditures to Municipal Candidate and Committee
  • 9.6 Legislative Newsletters
  • 9.7 Prohibited Expenditures
  • 9.8 Charities
  • 9.9 Legal Defense

Chapter 10 - Loans

  • 10.1 Generally
  • 10.2 Receipt of Loans
  • 10.3 Interest
  • 10.4 Loan and Repayment Examples

Chapter 11 - Campaign Finance Reports

  • 11.1 When Reports Must Be Submitted
  • 11.2 Filing Exception - Affidavit of Limited Contributions and Expenditures
  • 11.3 Where Reports Must Be Submitted
  • 11.4 How to File a Campaign Finance Report or Affidavit
  • 11.5 Liability for Failure to File
  • 11.6 Report Forms
  • 11.7 Summary Page
  • 11.8 Reporting Receipts - Schedules 1, 1a, & 1b
  • 11.9 Reporting Expenditures - Schedule 2
  • 11.10 Reporting Loans - Schedule 3
  • 11.11 Reporting Bills
  • 11.12 Reporting Items Sold
  • 11.13 Reporting Credit Card Contributions
  • 11.14 Creating an Amendment

Chapter 12 - Campaign Literature and Paraphernalia

  • 12.1 Authority Lines
  • 12.2 Copies of Campaign Materials
  • 12.3 Placement of Campaign Signs
  • 12.4 Giveaway Items
  • 12.5 RoboCalls
  • 12.6 Campaigning on Election Day

Chapter 13 - Public Campaign Financing Laws

  • 13.1 Generally
  • 13.2 Initial Requirements
  • 13.3 Seed Money
  • 13.4 Receiving the Public Funds
  • 13.5 Post Election Requirements
  • 13.6 Maximum Campaign Expenditure Limit
  • 13.7 How the Money Will Be Disbursed
  • 13.8 Spending Public Funds
  • 13.9 Liability and Penalties

Chapter 14 - Campaign Management

  • 14.1 Account Books
  • 14.2 Campaign Bank Accounts
  • 14.3 Tax-Related Questions

Chapter 15 - Enforcement

Chapter 16 - Forms

Maryland Election Laws

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