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Getting Started – State Candidates
2012 State Elections
Please read this document carefully for important information about starting your campaign.
The 2012 elections are approaching and it is time for candidates and to set up procedures to comply with Alaska’s Campaign Disclosure Law. This information is presented only as an overview of your disclosure requirements. It is your responsibility and obligation to familiarize yourself and your campaign workers with the details of the disclosure law and to make sure that you file reports both on time and accurately completed.
Please visit the APOC homepage for further information, to download forms, and to remain updated about your requirements and responsibilities as a candidate.
GETTING STARTED
Letter of Intent: Must be filed with the APOC before any candidate engages in campaign activity. A Letter of Intent allows the individual to campaign as if they were a candidate. The date that a campaign may start is 18 months prior to the date of the Election. However, if a candidate files a Declaration of Candidacy first, they do not need to file a Letter of Intent.
The Declaration of Candidacy: State candidates file their Declaration with the Division of Elections. TheDeclaration of Candidacy is what gets a state candidate’s name on the ballot. The Declaration of Candidacy must be filed with the Division of Elections. Candidates must file a Public Official Financial Disclosure Statement with the Declaration of Candidacy at the Division of Elections.
Candidate Registration: Must be filed within 15 days following the filing of the Declaration of Candidacy at the Division of Elections. The registration provides your campaign contact information, designates your campaign committee, and your campaign depository. Candidates may amend registrations as needed. Until a candidate files their registration, designating a Treasurer or Deputy Treasurers, only the candidate may accept/expend campaign funds.
Candidate Reimbursement Notification: If candidates loan personal funds to their campaign and intend to repay themselves at the end of the campaign, they MUST file a Candidate Reimbursement Form with the APOC within 5 calendar days of depositing personal funds into their campaign account. HOWEVER, if the candidate can reimburse their personal contributions from the campaign account within 72 hours they may; they do NOT then need to file the Reimbursement Form.
START UP CONSIDERATIONS
Remember, only the candidate, a registered Treasurer or Deputy Treasurer may spend money on behalf of the campaign. Once registered, actions of Treasurers and Deputy Treasurers are considered the actions of the candidate.
If a candidate uses personal funds to buy things for the campaign, they may be reimbursed by the campaign as long as reimbursement occurs within 72 hours of when the expenditure was made. If a candidate uses personal money and wishes to repay that money at the end of their campaign, he/she must file a candidate reimbursement form with the Commission within five calendar days of using their personal money.
PAID FOR BY IDENTIFIERS
Alaska Statute 15.13.090 and Regulation 2 AAC 50.306 require a paid for by disclaimer on all political communications. For candidate campaigns it must consist of the words “paid for by” followed by the name and address of the candidate. Fixing missing or incomplete paid for by disclaimers costs time and money for a campaign, and can result in civil penalties.
REPORT INFORMATION
Candidates and groups are required by law to periodically disclose information about their campaigns. The purpose of a campaign disclosure statement is to provide a snapshot of a candidate or group’s activity during a specific reporting period. The reporting period is the time period covered by a campaign disclosure report. A due date is the date when a report is due, and comes three days after the end of a reporting period. The three days allows a treasurer time to complete the report.
The number of reports required to be filed by State candidates over the course of the Primary and General Election cycles will vary depending on when the campaign begins and whether or not they participate/are successful in the Primary election.
If candidates filed either a Letter of Intent or their Declaration of Candidacy on or before February 1, 2012, they will begin with a year-start report, which will be due February 15, 2012. Otherwise the cycle will begin with a 30 day report (due 30 days before the election), 7 day report (due 7 days before the election), and a final report (due February 15, 2013). In addition, during the 9 days before an election, candidates must report the contributor name and amount of all monetary and non-monetary contributions, from a single source, over $250 within 24 hours of the time they receive the contribution. Candidates may need to report each day during that period, or not at all. These 24 hour reports cannot be mailed! To be filed timely they must be emailed, faxed, hand-delivered, or phoned in after hours.
Please refer to the 2012 State Primary and General Election Report Due Dates calendar located on our website for reporting periods and applicable due dates.
CIVIL PENALTIES
Civil penalties apply to candidates and groups who violate campaign disclosure law. Violations include failure to file a campaign disclosure report on time or failure to file a complete and accurate campaign disclosure report. Even if you are filing a report indicating that you have had no activity in that report period, you will be assessed a civil penalty if the report is late. It is YOUR responsibility as the filer to familiarize yourself (and your campaign workers) with the campaign disclosure law requirements and reporting deadlines. Initial penalties range from $10 to $50 a day for late reports.
Review the APOC Website for further reporting requirements. This information is only meant to review the initial requirements of starting a campaign and to provide you with an overview of what you are required to file. Do not hesitate to call APOC staff if you have questions. Thank you!
Contact Information
apoc@alaska.gov
Anchorage Office
2221 East Northern Lights Blvd., #128, Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: (907) 276-4176 / Outside of Anchorage: (800) 478-4176
Fax: (907) 276-7018
Juneau Office
P.O. Box 110222 / 240 Main Street, #500, Juneau, AK 99811-0222
Phone :( 907) 465-4864 Fax: (907) 465-4832
