Pre-Campaign Reporting Requirements for Candidates and/or Committees

• Form 501 - Candidate Intention Statement
• Where to File Form 501
• Form 410 – Statement of Organization
• Where to File Form 410

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Who Files

A candidate for state or local office must file Form 501 prior to solicitation or receipt of any contribution or expenditure of any personal funds used for the election.

You must file a separate Form 501 for each election, including reelection to the same office.

Exception: This form is not required if you will not solicit or receive contributions from other persons and the only expenditures will be from your personal funds used for the filing fee and/or Statement of Qualifications in the County Voter Information Guide. Candidates for county central committees that do not raise or spend $2000 or more in a calendar year are also exempt from filing this form.

When to File

Form 501 must be filed before you solicit or receive any contributions or before you make any expenditures from personal funds on behalf of your candidacy (except personal funds used to pay the filing fee and/or Statement of Qualifications fee). This form is considered filed the date it is postmarked or hand delivered.

Pursuant to Government Code §84300(a), no contribution of one hundred dollars ($100) or more shall be made or received in cash. Pursuant to Government Code §84300(b), no expenditure of one hundred dollars ($100) or more shall be made in cash.

See appropriate Campaign Disclosure Manual and California Form 501 for additional instructions and filing requirements.

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Definitions:

Recipient Committee

A recipient committee is any individual (including an officeholder or a candidate), group of individuals, organizations, groups or other entities that raise contributions from others totaling $2,000 or more in a calendar year to spend on California elections.

Contribution

The term “contribution” includes monetary payments, loans and non-monetary goods or services received or made for a political purpose.

Personal Funds – Candidates

The personal funds of a candidate or officeholder used in connection with seeking or holding elective office are contributions and are counted towards qualifying as a recipient committee. However, personal funds used to pay a candidate filing fee or a fee for the Statement of Qualifications to appear in the County Voter Information Guide are not counted toward the $2,000 threshold.

Pursuant to Government Code §84300(a), no contribution of one hundred dollars ($100) or more shall be made or received in cash. Pursuant to Government Code §84300(b), no expenditure of one hundred dollars ($100) or more shall be made in cash.

When to File

File the Form 410 within 10 days of receiving $2,000 in contributions. The date this form is postmarked is the date it is considered filed.  In addition to the 10-day rule:

• A recipient committee qualifying during the 16 days prior to an election in which it must file pre-election statements must file a Form 410 by fax, guaranteed overnight delivery, or personal delivery within 24 hours of qualification with the filing officer who will receive the committee’s original disclosure statements. A Form 410 must also be filed with the Secretary of State within 10 days.
• A recipient committee qualifying during the 90 days prior to an election in which the committee makes independent expenditures of $1,000 or more to support or oppose a candidate in that election must file the Form 410 (or the information contained on the Form 410) within 24 hours of qualification with the filing officer who will receive the committee’s original disclosure statements and with the filing officer(s) for the candidate(s) supported or opposed by the independent expenditure. These filings must be made by fax, guaranteed overnight delivery, personal delivery, or online (if online filing is available).

You will receive written notification from the Secretary of State’s Office assigning an identification number to your committee.  Identification numbers are also posted on the Secretary of State’s web site at https://cal-access.sos.ca.gov/.

See appropriate Campaign Disclosure Manual and California Form 410 for additional instructions and filing requirements.

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