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Campaign Finance

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Are you considering running for office?  Will you be forming a campaign committee, raising or spending funds?  If you answered yes to these questions, you will need to file campaign finance reports with the Town or State.

According to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, “campaign finance law (M.G.L. Chapter 55) is a comprehensive statue governing the financing of political campaigns in the Commonwealth at the state, county, district and municipal levels.  The Federal Election Commission administers campaign finance issues as they apply to federal candidates.”  At the local level and in Fairhaven, the Town Clerk administers the campaign finance law and serves as a resource for candidates and residents who have questions and/or need to understand the law as it may apply to them.

Candidates for local election and political committees file organizational forms (Form CPF M101) and are required to fill Form CPF M102 with the Town Clerk on or before each reporting date.  Candidates and treasurers are responsible for the legality, validity, completeness and accuracy of each of their reports.  The CPF M109 (Short Form) report may be filled out by candidates who do not have a political committee organized on their behalf, have not received any contributions, spent any money, maintained a balance, or incurred any debts.

Reports are due for candidates on the ballot in any given year 8 days prior to the election, 30 days after the election, and at the end of the calendar year.  For incumbents not on the ballot, only year-end reports are due that particular year.  Unsuccessful candidates still have to file a 30 day post-election report, but then they can “dissolve” their committee as long as they do not have a balance.  Reports must still be filed for unsuccessful candidates who do have a balance. 

IMPORTANT:  The campaign finance law mandates that a CIVIL PENALTY OF $25 PER DAY, UP TO $5,000 TOTAL, be assessed personally against a candidate for any report that is filed after the due date and upon referral to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.  In addition, failure to file the report as required will subject you to referral to the Attorney General.

Towns are required to post campaign finance reports on the municipal website for local candidates who have had over $1,000 in expenditures or collected over $1,000 in revenue in a single reporting period. Additionally, as an added best practice, Fairhaven posts Campaign Finance Reports for all candidates and elected officials regardless of the amount of expenditures or receipts. 

Click here for a comprehensive, five-minute training video for local candidates.  

For more information about the campaign finance law and related processes, please contact the Town Clerk’s Office or visit the Office of Campaign and Political Finance at: www.ocpf.us/Home/MuniClerkSupport.

The Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) provides excellent guidance on this issue and makes the entire process very user friendly. Municipal candidates who are interested in learning about the process should can view the Getting Started Guide.  You will find links to organization forms, campaign finance report forms, and a summary of the campaign finance law as it appears in the OCPF guide booklet.  For more information please visit the Office of Campaign &

Political Finance website for Reporting Forms & Instructions:   http://www.ocpf.us/Home/Publications#tabForms 

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