Media guide to the Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC): 2006 election cycle

              A Media Guide to the Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC)







2006 Election Cycle







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A note to members of the media...



This booklet offers basic information for members of the media about the Citizens Clean Elections Act (Act) and the Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC). The guide contains brief descriptions of the various provisions of the Act, including definitions, description and other pertinent information. The information provided should give the reader a rudimentary understanding of the Act and should, be no means, be considered as a document that provides information about every aspect of the Act. Telephones numbers and web site addresses and other resource information sources are also provided. To access candidate campaign finance reports visit the Secretary of State's web site at: www.sos.state.az.us and click on campaign finance reports button. This publication is subject to change and is not an official summary of the Citizens Clean Elections Act (Act) or the Commission's public information, rules and policy statements. It is hoped that the guide will be a useful tool for reporters seeking some background information of general facts. The CCEC web site is: www.azcleanelections.gov







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Overview



The Citizens Clean Elections Act (Act) is a campaign finance reform measure that was initiated by Arizona citizens and passed by voters in 1998. The Act created a new campaign financing system that provides full public funding to qualified candidates who agree to abide by Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC) guidelines. Candidates for statewide offices (governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction, corporation commissioner or mine inspector) and legislative offices (house of representatives and senate) are eligible to participate in the public funding program. The 2000 election was the first election in which statewide and legislative office candidates could run an election, voluntarily, under the Act. Although public funding is available only to "participating candidates" who choose to certify and qualify for such funding, the Act significantly impacts "nonparticipating candidates," or those candidates who are running their campaigns the traditional way. The Act requires nonparticipating candidates to accept campaign contribution limits that are lowered by 20 percent and adhere to new reporting requirements. If these reporting requirements are not met, the Commission is empowered to impose civil penalties. To qualify for funding, participating candidates must adhere to strict spending and contribution limits and gather $5 qualifying contributions from district constituents who are registered voters. Participating candidates also agree to attend required debates.







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Definitions



Act: The Citizens Clean Elections Act CCEC: Citizens Clean Elections Commission acronym CEA: Clean Elections Act acronym Citizens Clean Elections Commission (CCEC): The state agency created to oversee the Citizens Clean Elections Act. Clean Elections Act (CEA): A campaign finance reform measure initiated by Arizona citizens and passed by voters in 1998. The Act creates a new campaign finance system that provides full public funding to qualified statewide and legislative candidates who agree to abide by strict spending and contribution limits. Early Contributions: Also known as "seed money". Amounts, set by office sought, that candidates may receive and spend only during the Exploratory and Qualifying periods. Seed money includes only individual contributions that do not exceed $110 per individual and personal monies. Election Cycle: The period between successive General Elections for a particular office. Exploratory Period: The period beginning on the day after a General Election and ending the day before the start of the Qualifying Period. Family contributions: Any contribution that is provided to a candidate's campaign committee by a parent, grandparent, spouse, child or sibling of the candidate or a parent or spouse of any of those persons. General Election Period: The period beginning on the day after Primary Election Day and ending on General Election Day. General Election Spending Limits: Special amounts expressly set for offices sought in the general election. Amounts set are 50 percent greater than the Primary Election Spending Limits. Legislative Offices: Senate and House of Representatives. Matching funds: Funds provided to participating candidates in excess of the Primary and General election spending limits based on the reporting of the nonparticipating opponents







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Definitions (continued)



Nonparticipating Candidate: An Arizona statewide or legislative candidate who is running for office the traditional way, by raising private funds. Primary Election Period: The nine-week period ending on Primary Election Day Participating Candidate: An Arizona statewide or legislative candidate who has qualified for and is running for office using Clean Elections (public) funding. Qualifying Period: The period beginning on the first day of August in a year preceding an election for an election for a statewide office, or on the first day of January of an election year for an election for legislator, and ending 75 days before the day of the General Election One-Party Dominant Legislative District: A district in which the number of registered voters registered in the party with the highest number of registered voters exceeds the number of registered voters registered to each of the other parties by an amount at least as high as 10 percent of the total number of voters registered in the district. Personal Monies: Assets to which the candidate has legal right; salary and other earned income from candidate employment; dividends and proceeds from the sale of stocks or investments; income from trusts; proceeds of loans obtained that are not contributions; proceeds from legal games of chance; and family contributions. Primary Election Spending Limits: Special amounts expressly set for offices sought in the primary election. Qualifying Contribution: a contribution of $5 exactly made by a qualified elector to a participating candidate. A 3-part form must also be completed by the contributor. Statewide Offices: Governor, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Corporation Commissioner and Mine Inspector Seed Money: see "Early Contributions"







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Important Dates for All Candidates



Note: Please check with the CCEC or the Secretary of State's office as these dates are subject to change. Nomination petitions/papers to Secretary of State June 14, 2006







Electronic candidate statement submissions to June 14, 2006 CCEC for inclusion in the Primary Election Candidate Statement Pamphlet Electronic candidate statement submissions to July 27, 2006 CCEC for inclusion in the General Election Candidate Statement Pamphlet Early Voting begin in Primary Election Deadline for Application for Certification as a Participating Candidate Aug. 10, 2006 Aug. 24, 2006







Deadline for Participating Candidate's Application Aug. 25, 2006 to Receive Funds and Qualifying Contributions Report Primary Election Early Voting begin in General Election General Election Sept. 12, 2006 Oct. 5, 2006 Nov. 7, 2006







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Participating Candidates



Deadlines for Statewide Office Candidates: Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Corporation Commissioner, Mine Inspector Exploratory Period Qualifying Period Primary Election Period General Election Period Deadlines for Legislative Candidates: Senate and House of Representatives Exploratory Period Qualifying Period Primary Election Period General Election Period Nov. 3, 2004 � Dec. 31, 2005 Jan. 1, 2006 � Aug. 24, 2006 July 11, 2006 � Sept. 12, 2006 Sept. 13, 2006 � Nov. 7, 2006 Nov. 3, 2004 � July 31, 2005 Aug. 1, 2005 � Aug. 24, 2006 July 11, 2006 � Sept. 12, 2006 Sept. 13, 2006 � Nov. 7, 2006







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Participating Candidates Early Contribution Limits and Qualifying Contribution Minimums



Contribution Limits (except for Qualifying Contributions) $46,440 $23,830 $23,820 $11,910 $11,910 $11,910 $5,950 $2,980 Minimum Number of Valid Qualifying Contributions 4,200 2,625 2,625 1,575 1,575 1,575 525 210







Office Governor Secretary of State Attorney General Treasurer Superintendent of Public Instruction Corporation Commissioner Mine Inspector Legislature







Contribution Limits (per individual) $120 $120 $120 $120 $120 $120 $120 $120







Personal Money Expenditure Limits $1,160 $1,160 $1,160 $1,160 $1,160 $1,160 $1,160 $580







Participating Candidates Primary Election Spending Limits



Office Governor Secretary of State Attorney General Treasurer Superintendent of Public Instruction Corporation Commission Mine Inspector Legislature Limit $453,849 $95,550 $95,550 $47,770 $47,770 $47,770 $23,890 $11,945







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General Election Spending Limits



Office Governor Secretary of State Attorney General Treasurer Superintendent of Public Instruction Corporation Commission Mine Inspector Legislature Limit $680,774 $143,325 $143,325 $71,655 $71,655 $71,655 $35,835 $17,918







Participating Candidates



� Can reallocate funds from the general election period to the primary election period if they are a member of the dominant political party in a one-party dominant Legislative District. Can receive matching funds of up to three (3) times the Primary and General Election Spending Limits based on the reporting of their nonparticipating opponents. o In the primary election, the matching is based on expenditures reported by the nonparticipating opponents. o In the general election, the matching is based on the contributions received and reported by the nonparticipating opponents, minus expenditures through the primary, that amount that exceeds the General Election Spending Limit is matched. Must return all unspent monies to the fund: o At the end of the Qualifying Period (only unspent early contributions) o At the end of the Primary Election Period o At the end of the General Election Period Must participate in debates sponsored by the CCEC







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Nonparticipating Candidates



Must adhere to: � Contribution limits � Extra reporting requirements







Contribution Limits



Legislative Offices Individual's contribution to a candidate Political Committee's contribution to a candidate Committees certified by the SOS to give at the upper limit "Super PAC" Combined total from all Political Committees other than political parties Nominee's total from political party and all political organizations combined Total contributed by an individual to candidates and committees who give to candidates $296 Statewide Offices $760







$296







$760







$1,512







$3,784







$7,568







$75,624







$7,568







$75,624







$3,530 in a calendar year







$3,530 in a calendar year







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Nonparticipating Candidates



Nonparticipating candidates must file a series of original and supplemental reports with the Secretary of State, above and beyond the six period campaign finance reports as certain dollar amount thresholds are met and/or exceeded. Must file an ORIGINAL report when EXPENDITURES through the PRIMARY EXCEED 70% of the primary election spending limit for participating candidates seeking the same office. Must file SUPPLEMENTAL reports each time PREVIOUSLY UNREPORTED EXPENDITURES EXCEED 10% of the primary election spending limit for participating candidates seeking the same office Primary Election Period Reporting Requirements for EXPENDITURES







Office Governor Secretary of State Attorney General Treasurer Superintendent of Public Instruction Corporation Commission Mine Inspector Legislature







70% ORIGINAL $317,694 $66,885 $66,885 $33,439 $33,439 $33,439 $16,723 $8,362







10% SUPPLEMENTAL $25,000 $9,555 $9,555 $4,777 $4,777 $4,777 $2,389 $1,195







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Nonparticipating Candidates



Must file an ORIGINAL report when CONTIRBUTIONS LESS EXPENDITURES MADE UP TO THE PRIMARY EXCEED 70% of the general election spending limit for participating candidates seeking the same office. Must file SUPPLEMENTAL reports each time PREVIOUSLY UNREPORTED CONTRIBUTIONS EXCEED 10% of the general election spending limit for participating candidates seeking the same office. General Election Period Reporting Requirements for CONTRIBUTIONS 70% ORIGINAL $476,542 $100,328 $100,328 $50,159 $50,159 $50,159 $25,085 $7,924 10% SUPPLEMENTAL $25,000 $14,333 $14,333 $7,166 $7,166 $7,166 $3,584 $1,132







Office Governor Secretary of State Attorney General Treasurer Superintendent of Public Instruction Corporation Commission Mine Inspector Legislature







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Nonparticipating Candidates



Reports must be filed: st Monthly: On the 1 of each month before the beginning of the Primary Election Period (Primary Election Period begins July 11) by which the person has reached the dollar amount threshold for filing an original or supplemental report. Weekly: Thereafter (beginning July 11), on any Tuesday by which the person has reached the dollar amount threshold for filing an original or supplemental report. Daily: During the last two weeks before the Primary Election and the last two weeks before the General Election, within one business day of reaching the dollar amount threshold for filing an original or supplemental report. Required Reporting Dates Month, 2006 January February March April May June July August September October November December







1 1 1 1 1 1 1, 11,18, 25 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 30, 31 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 19, 26 3, 10, 17, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 none







There are penalties for failure to file. The civil penalty for a late-filing violation by or on behalf of any candidate is $120 per day for candidates for the legislature and $350 per day for candidates for statewide office. These amounts will be doubled if the amount unreported exceeds 10 percent of the Adjusted Primary or General Election Spending Limits.







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Independent Expenditures



Independent Expenditure means an expenditure made by a person or political committee, other than a candidate's campaign committee, that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate, that is made without cooperation or consultation with any candidate or committee or agent of the candidate and that is not made in concert with or at the request or suggestion of a candidate, or any committee or agent of the candidate. Those making independent expenditures must file a series of original and supplemental reports with the Secretary of State's office to trigger equalization of funding for participating candidates from the Clean Elections Fund. An ORIGINAL report must be filed when cumulative independent expenditures exceed $550. SUPPLEMENTAL reports must be filed after the original report has been made, when previously unreported independent expenditures exceed $1,000. Those making independent expenditures must report: � The dollar amount; � The office and candidate or group of candidates whose election or defeat is being advocated; and � Whether the person is advocating election or defeat Reports must be filed on required reporting dates listed for nonparticipating candidates.







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Penalties



All candidates and committees that make independent expenditures face penalties for not meeting reporting requirements. The civil penalty for a late-filing violation by or on behalf of any candidate is $120 per day for candidates for the legislature and $350 per day for candidates for statewide office. These amounts will be doubled if the amount unreported exceeds 10 percent of the Adjusted Primary or General Election Spending Limits. No penalty will exceed two times the amount of contributions or expenditures unreported. Late-filing fees: Candidates for Legislature: $120 per day Candidates for Statewide Office: $350 per day







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Contact Information



Citizens Clean Elections Commission 1616 West Adams, Suite 110 Phoenix, AZ 85007 Phone: 602-364-3477 or toll free 1-877-631-8891 Fax: 602-364-3487 www.azcleanelections.gov The Secretary of State's Office Elections Division, 7th Floor 1700 W. Washington St. Phoenix, AZ 85007 Phone: 602-542-8683 or toll free 1-877-THE-VOTE Fax: 602-542-6172 www.sos.state.az.us The Clean Elections Institute 2702 N. 3rd Street, Suite 4010 Phoenix, AZ 85004-1130 Phone: 602-840-6633 Fax: 602-840-2236 www.azclean.org







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