July Filings Due for Candidate Committees, State PAC’s & Ballot Committees!
Compliance filings can be tricky and challenging. I appreciate Dome Guide’s commitment to providing Legislators and their staff with the information they need, and me, with the opportunity to keep you updated through Dome. I've been guiding clients with filings for 23 years and my goal is to provide you with the rationale, tips and pitfalls of filing. Please check here when you have questions or just need to know where to look to get answers. We will update the calendar and requirements as report dates are approaching.
Candidate Committees
Report close date for Candidate Committees if the candidate is not seeking election in 2023, close of books is July 20, 2023 due on July 25th (unless your committee has/still qualifies for a waiver). Report coverage dates can vary depending on the committees last filing. If the committee filed a post-general election report with close of books on November 28, 2022 then the opening report date is November 29th, 2022 and closing date July 20, 2023. If the committee did not participate in the 2022 General Election and filed an annual report, July report dates are January 1st – July 20th, 2023, due on July 25, 2023.
You can find the schedules here.
Tip: What you should know when entering dates in your report:
The close date of your last report filed, use the next day as your opening date for the next report (ie: post general close date was November 28th, 2022. Your open date for the next report would be November 29th, 2022).
Remember- The length of your committee’s election cycle (e.g. when it begins and ends) so that you can accurately track contribution limits (Senate is 4 years, House 2 years). Election cycle dates are entered in the MERTS file for your committee.
Common filing dates
Political Action Committees, Independent Political Committees and Independent Expenditure Committees
(Note: Leadership committees are technically a type of PAC)
In 2023 reports are due January 31st, April 25th, July 25th & October 25th
The July report date range for PAC’s is April 21st, 2023 - July 20, 2023 with a filing deadline of July 25, 2023 (unless your committee has/still qualifies for a waiver).
Ballot Question Committees (BQC’s)
Report close date for Ballot Committees if the committee did not support or oppose a ballot proposal appearing on a ballot in 2023, close of books is July 20, 2023, due on July 25th.
To see BQC off & even year report dates, see schedule here.
Filing dates for elections where BQC’s support or oppose a specific ballot proposal vary (unless your committee has/still qualifies for a waiver).
Opening report dates can depend on if the BQC is supporting or opposing a ballot initiative in 2023. Filing dates are specific to the BQC’s activity, for example:
Will the committee support or oppose a ballot proposal appearing on a ballot during the calendar year?
Yes, the committee will support or oppose a ballot proposal appearing on a ballot in 2023; See 2023 Schedule A
No, See 2023 Schedule B
You can find the schedules here.
New Contribution Limits
Contribution limits are primarily based on election cycles and the office the candidate is seeking (Re: size of the population the office covers). Contribution limits and election cycles are directly related; the longer a committee’s election cycle the larger the committee’s contribution limit. For example, a Senate committee has a four-year campaign cycle and a $2,450 individual contribution limit, while a House committee has a two-year campaign cycle and a $1,225 individual contribution limit. Independent PAC contribution limits are 10 times the individual limit - $24,500 & $12,250 respectively. These are adjusted every 4 years.
Your candidate committee’s campaign contribution limits can be found here.
The content above is meant to serve only as a guide. Every filing situation is different and you should always call me at 517/482-5311 or email your questions to Lfarnum@farnuminc.com, visit the Bureau of Elections for more information and consult with your attorney.
Lisa Farnum, MPP is President of L Farnum, Inc., a firm that specializes in PAC compliance, research and project management. Lisa has been helping clients resolve campaign finance issues and maintain compliance for more than 23 years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Northwood University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan, Dearborn. Ms. Farnum has over 25 years of experience working with corporations and non-profits.
Summary
· July Due Dates for PAC’s & Ballot Committees & Candidate Committees
· Election Cycles
· New contribution limits effective January 2023
Contribution Limit Adjustment
Per MCL 169.246, adjustments to the dollar amounts of the contribution limits specified in MCL 169.252, 169.252a, 169.269 have been adjusted. The adjustments are effective January 1, 2023, for a period of 4 years.
Please visit our Contribution Limits page for the updated limits.
