Title 21-A, Title 21-A

The commission may assess the following penalties in addition to the other monetary sanctions authorized in this chapter. [PL 2003, c. 628, Pt. A, §1 (NEW).] 1. Late campaign finance report. A person that files a late campaign finance report containing no contributions or expendi…

The commission staff shall collect the full amount of any penalty and the return of Maine Clean Election Act funds required by the commission to be returned for a violation of the statutes or rules administered by the commission and has all necessary powers to carry out these dut…

Notwithstanding any maximum penalty otherwise set forth in this chapter, when assessing a penalty or monetary sanction, the commission may double the authorized penalty or monetary sanction for a violation occurring less than 28 days prior to an election day and may triple the au…

Information concerning contributors contained in campaign finance reports filed by candidates, political action committees, party committees and ballot question committees may not be used for any commercial purpose, including, but not limited to, the sales and marketing of produc…

A party committee, political action committee or ballot question committee registered under this chapter that conducts a game night pursuant to Title 17, section 1832, subsection 2‑B shall report to the commission all proceeds from the game night in a manner prescribed by rule by…

A public communication is considered placed or promoted for a fee when a payment is made to a website, digital device, application or advertising platform in order to increase the circulation, prominence or availability of the public communication on that website, digital device,…

This subchapter applies to candidates for all state and county offices and to campaigns for their nomination and election. Candidates for municipal office as described in Title 30‑A, section 2502, subsection 1 are also governed by this subchapter. The commission does not have jur…

As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Clearly identified. "Clearly identified," with respect to a candidate, means that: A. The name of the candidate appears; [PL 1985, …

1. Candidates, their treasurers and political committees. A candidate shall register the candidate's name and the name of a treasurer with the commission at least once in each legislative biennium, as provided in this section. A candidate may have only one treasurer, who must be …

A candidate may remove any treasurer that the candidate has appointed. In case of a vacancy in the position of treasurer of a candidate or treasurer of a political committee before the obligations of the treasurer have been performed, the candidate shall serve as treasurer from t…

1. Authorized by candidate. Whenever a person makes an expenditure to finance a public communication expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate, the public communication, if authorized by a candidate, a candidate's authorized political committee…

1. Push poll defined. For purposes of this section, "push poll" means any paid telephone survey or series of telephone surveys that are similar in nature that reference a candidate or group of candidates other than in a basic preference question, and when: A. A list or directory …

1. Contributions by individuals. An individual may not make contributions to a candidate in support of the candidacy of one person aggregating more than $1,950 in any election for a gubernatorial candidate, more than $475 for a legislative candidate, more than $575 for a candidat…

Contributions made by a for-profit or a nonprofit corporation including a parent, subsidiary, branch, division, department or local unit of a corporation, and contributions made by a political committee or political action committee whose contribution or expenditure activities ar…

If an individual receives funds, goods or services for the purpose of deciding whether to become a candidate, the funds, goods or services may not exceed the limitations in section 1015, subsections 1 and 2‑B. The individual shall keep an account of such funds, goods or services …

The candidate or treasurer shall keep detailed records of all contributions received and of each expenditure that the treasurer or candidate makes or authorizes, as provided in this section. The treasurer shall certify the completeness and accuracy of the information in any repor…

1. Keeping required records. The candidate or treasurer shall keep records of contributions and expenditures as required by section 1016, chapter 14 and the commission's rules. If the candidate keeps the records, the candidate shall provide the treasurer or deputy treasurer with …

1. Federal candidates. 2. Gubernatorial candidates. A treasurer of a candidate for the office of Governor shall file reports with the commission as follows. Once the first required report has been filed, each subsequent report must cover the period from the end date of the prior …

1. Contributions. A party committee shall report all contributions in cash or in kind from a single contributor that in the aggregate total more than $200. The party committee shall report the name, mailing address, occupation and place of business of each contributor. Contributi…

Any party committee that makes expenditures that aggregate in excess of $50 to any one or more candidates, committees or campaigns in this State shall keep records as provided in this section. Records required to be kept under this section must be retained by the party committee …

1. Reporting. Candidates who are involved in a recount of an election shall file a report 90 days after the election containing itemized accounts of cash, goods and services received for the recount and payments made by the candidate for the recount. The reports must be made on f…

Any membership organization or corporation that makes a communication to its members or stockholders expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate shall report any expenses related to such communications aggregating in excess of $100 in any one can…

1. Independent expenditures; definition. For the purposes of this section, an "independent expenditure" means any expenditure made by a person, party committee or political action committee that is not made in cooperation, consultation or concert with, or at the request or sugges…

1. Registration. A candidate that fails to register the name of a candidate, treasurer or political committee with the commission within the time allowed by section 1013‑A, subsection 1 may be assessed a forfeiture of $100. The commission shall determine whether a registration sa…

This subchapter applies to the activities of political action committees and ballot question committees organized in and outside this State that accept contributions, incur obligations or make expenditures to influence the nomination or election of a candidate to state, county or…

As used in this subchapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Campaign. "Campaign" means any course of activities to influence the nomination or election of a candidate or to initiate or influe…

A committee shall register with the commission and amend its registration as required by this section. A registration is not timely filed unless it contains all the information required in this section. [PL 2021, c. 217, §4 (AMD).] 1. Deadlines to file and amend registrations. A …

If an organization qualifies as a committee under section 1052, subsection 2 and that organization receives contributions or makes expenditures to influence a municipal election in towns or cities with a population of 15,000 or more, that organization shall register and file repo…

An organization that is registered as a political action committee, ballot question committee or political committee with the Federal Election Commission or a jurisdiction outside of this State shall register and file reports with the commission in accordance with this subchapter…

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "House caucus leader" means a member of a political party in the House of Representatives who has been elected the leader of that political party i…

1. Appointment of treasurer. A committee required to register under section 1052‑A shall appoint a treasurer before registering with the commission. 2. Segregated campaign account. A committee registered under section 1052‑A shall establish a separate account in a bank or other f…

1. Duties of the treasurer. The treasurer of the committee shall ensure that the committee files and amends the committee's registration, files complete and accurate financial reports with the commission and maintains the committee's records as required by this chapter and the co…

1. Payments to Legislators. If a Legislator is a principal officer or treasurer of a political action committee or a ballot question committee or is one of the individuals primarily responsible for raising contributions or making decisions for a political action committee or a ba…

A political action committee that makes an expenditure to finance a public communication expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate or that names or depicts a clearly identified candidate is subject to the requirements of section 1014.

1. Public communications to influence ballot question elections. Whenever a person makes an expenditure exceeding $500 for a public communication expressly advocating for or against an initiative or referendum that is on the ballot, the public communication must clearly and consp…

Any committee required to register under this chapter shall comply with the following expenditure limitations. [PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW).] 1. Aggregate expenditures. A committee may not make contributions in support of the candidacy of one person aggregating more than the contri…

Any committee that is required to register under section 1052‑A or 1053‑B shall keep records as provided in this section for 4 years following the election to which the records pertain. [PL 2021, c. 217, §9 (AMD).] 1. Details of records. The treasurer of a committee shall record …

A committee required to register under section 1052‑A or 1053‑B shall file an initial campaign finance report within 7 days of registration or within 14 days of having been required to register, whichever comes first, and thereafter shall file reports in compliance with this sect…

The reports must contain the following information and any additional information required by the commission to monitor the activities of committees: [PL 2021, c. 217, §11 (AMD).] 1. Identification of candidates. The names of and offices sought by all candidates whose campaigns t…

This section governs the reporting of contributions aggregating in excess of $100,000 for the purpose of initiating or influencing a campaign for a people's veto referendum under the Constitution of Maine, Article IV, Part Third, Section 17 or a direct initiative of legislation u…

Whenever any committee determines that it will no longer accept any contributions or make any expenditures, the committee shall file a termination report that includes all financial activity from the end date of the previous reporting period through the date of termination with t…

1. Registration. A political action committee required to register under section 1052‑A, 1053‑A or 1053‑B or a ballot question committee required to register under section 1053‑A that fails to do so or that fails to provide the information required by the commission for registrat…

A committee that fails to keep records required by this chapter may be assessed a fine of up to $10,000 or the amount of financial activity for which no records were kept, whichever is greater. In assessing a fine, the commission shall consider, among other things, whether the vi…

The Secretary of State, the Treasurer of State, the Attorney General, the State Auditor, or any individual running for these offices, may not form a political action committee or be involved in decision making for or solicit contributions to a political action committee.

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Contribution" has the meanings given in section 1012, subsection 2 and section 1052, subsection 3. [IB 2023, c. 2, §1 (NEW).] B. "Electioneering c…

1. Distribution to candidates. At the time a candidate for the office of Governor, the Senate or the House of Representatives registers with the commission as required under section 1013‑A, the commission shall give the candidate a form containing a copy of the Maine Code of Fair…