Campaign finance requirements in Nevada
 in Nevada |
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Federal campaign finance laws and regulations |
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| Campaign finance reform |
| History of campaign finance reform |
| State by state comparison of campaign finance reporting requirements |
| Election policy |
| State information |
Nevada campaign finance requirements govern the following:
- how much money candidates may receive from individuals and organizations,
- how much and how often they must report those contributions, and
- how much individuals, organizations and political parties may contribute to campaigns.
In addition to direct campaign contributions, campaign finance laws also apply to third-party organizations and nonprofit organizations that seek to influence elections through independent expenditures or issue advocacy.
Background
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the independent regulatory agency that administers and enforces federal campaign election laws. The FEC is responsible for disclosing campaign finance information, enforcing limits and prohibitions on contributions and overseeing public funding of presidential elections.[1] According to the FEC, an individual becomes a federal candidate and must begin reporting campaign finances once he or she has either raised or spent $5,000 in his or her campaign. Within 15 days of this benchmark, the candidate must register with the FEC and designate an official campaign committee, which is responsible for the funds and expenditures of the campaign. This committee must have an official treasurer and cannot support any candidate but the one who registered it. Detailed financial reports are then made to the FEC every financial quarter after the individual is registered. Reports are also made before primaries and before the general election.[2]
The Supreme Court of the United States has issued a number of rulings pertaining to federal election campaign finance regulations. In the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, the court held that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited. The court's decision also overturned the ban on for-profit and not-for-profit corporations and unions broadcasting electioneering communications in the 30 days before a presidential primary and in the 60 days before a general election.[3] In the SpeechNOW.org v. Federal Election Commission decision, the first application of the Citizens United decision, the court held that contribution limits on what individuals could give to independent expenditure-only groups, and the amount these organizations could receive, were unconstitutional. Contribution limits on donations directly to candidates, however, remained unchanged.[4][5] In 2014's McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission decision, the court overturned biennial aggregate campaign contribution limits, and held that individuals may contribute to as many federal candidates as they want, but may only contribute up to the federal limit in each case.[6]
While the FEC governs federal election campaigns and contribution limits, individual states enforce their own regulation and reporting requirements. Regulations vary by state, as do limits on campaign contributions and third-party activities to influence elections.
Contribution limits
The table below details contribution limits as they applied to various types of individuals and groups in Nevada as of May 2015. The uppermost row of the table indicates the contributor, while the leftmost column indicates the recipient.
| Nevada contribution limits as of May 2015 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals | Single candidates committees | PACs | Political Party | Super PACs | Corporations | Unions | |||
| Statewide Candidate (incl. Governor) | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 | $5,000 | ||
| Senate | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 | $5,000 | ||
| Assembly | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 | $5,000 | ||
| PAC | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | ||
| Party committees | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | ||
| Ballot measures | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | ||
| Sources: Nevada Secretary of State, "State of Nevada Campaign Guide," accessed May 25, 2015 | |||||||||
Candidate requirements
See statutes: Title 24, Chapter 294A of the Nevada Revised Statutes
This section covers all campaign finance reporting requirements for candidates running for state office in Nevada. Candidates running for federal office must file with the Federal Election Commission.
Definitions
The following is a list of definitions of terms used in campaign finance reporting in Nevada.
- Contributions are gifts, loans, conveyances, deposits, payments, transfers or distributions of money or anything of value other than the services of a volunteer.[7]
- Expenditures are any money paid to advocate the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or group of candidates, including any money paid for advertising or communication on television, radio, billboards, posters, newspapers or mail.[8]
- Campaign expenses are all expenses incurred by a candidate for a campaign, including but not limited to: expenditures, office expenses, travel expenses, expenses related to volunteers, paid staff or consultants, polling expenses, special event expenses, filing fees and the disposal of unspent contributions.[9]
- A candidate is an individual who does any of the following: files a Declaration of Candidacy, files an Acceptance of Candidacy, has his or her name appear on an official ballot in any election, or receives contributions in excess of $100.[10]
Reporting requirements
All campaign finance reports are filed electronically with the Nevada Secretary of State through a system called Aurora. The online filing system can be accessed here. Paper reports will only be accepted from a candidate who did not receive or spend more than $10,000 after becoming a candidate or from a candidate who filed an affidavit stating that he or she does not have the necessary technology to report electronically.[11][12][13]
Financial Disclosure Statement
Each candidate must electronically file a Financial Disclosure Statement (FDS) with the Nevada Secretary of State. This form is due 10 days after the last day of the candidate filing period, which is the second Friday after the first Monday in March. This form is also required from a candidate who has been successfully elected to public office. Once elected, he or she must file the FDS by January 15 of each year he or she holds office.[13]
Contributions and Expenses Reports
Contributions and Expenses Reports (C&E reports) are used to report all contributions and campaign expenses exceeding $100, including multiple contributions from a single contributor that cumulatively exceed $100, as well as all loans or written commitments. Contributions and campaign expenses of less than $100 must also be reported, but they can be reported as aggregate total and do not need to be itemized.[11][12][14]
Within one week of receiving a contribution of $100 or more, a candidate must open a separate campaign account in a financial institution and must not commingle the money in that account with money collected for any other purpose.[13][15]
Each candidate must file five C&E reports during the year of the election in which he or she is running, even if he or she withdraws, receives no contributions or loses in the primary. However, if the candidate does withdraw or lose in the primary, he or she is allowed to file all required reports at one time, as long as his or her campaign balance stands at zero and the candidate files a Notice of Completion of Campaign form.[13][16]
An annual report is required from some candidates in addition to the five C&E reports. It is required only if a candidate receive $10,000 or more in contributions prior to the year of the election in which he or she is running. If such contributions are received, an annual report must be filed by January 15 of the year immediately following the year the contributions were received. If such contributions are received more than a year in advance of an election, an annual report must continue to be filed every January 15 until the year of the election arrives and any contribution or campaign expense in excess of $100 must be reported, along with the total of any other contribution or expenditure.[13][17]
The following table details the reporting timetable.[13][11]
| Report | Time period covered | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| C&E Report 1 | January 1 through 25 days before the primary election | 21 days before the primary election |
| C&E Report 2 | 24 days before the primary election through 5 days before the primary election | 4 days before the primary election |
| C&E Report 3 | 4 days before the primary election through 25 days before the general election | 21 days before the general election |
| C&E Report 4 | 24 days before the general election through through 5 days before the general election | 4 days before the general election |
| C&E Report 5 | 4 days before the general election through December 31 | January 15 |
In order to file a Notice of Completion of Campaign form to close a campaign, campaign funds need to show a zero balance. If a candidate has an excess of campaign funds after an election, he or she may dispose of those funds in the following ways in order to officially close the campaign:[18]
- return the excess funds to contributors
- use the funds in the candidate's next election or for the payment of other public office expenses
- contribute to other candidates' campaigns
- contribute to a political party
- donate to any tax-exempt nonprofit entity
- donate to any government entity
Late fees
Late fees are applied to any report that is filed after its due date. Late fees are summarized in the table below.[13][19]
| When the report is filed | Fee applied |
|---|---|
| 1 to 7 days late | $25 per day |
| 8 to 15 days late | $50 per day |
| More than 15 days late | $100 per day, up to a maximum of $5,000 |
Campaign finance legislation
The following is a list of recent campaign finance bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Nevada state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.
Election and campaign ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked 5 statewide ballot measures relating to elections and campaigns.
- Nevada Question 10, Campaign Contribution Limits Initiative (1996)
- Nevada Question 10, Campaign Contribution Limits Initiative (1994)
- Nevada Question 3, Top-Five Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)
- Nevada Question 3, Top-Five Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2022)
- Nevada Question 7, Require Voter Identification Initiative (2024)
- See also: Campaign finance agencies in Nevada and State election agencies
Candidates running for office will require some form of interaction with the following agencies:
Nevada Secretary of State
- Why: This agency oversees candidate and political party filings, as well as campaign finance reporting.
- 101 North Carson Street, Suite 3
- Carson City, NV 89701-3714
- Telephone: 775.684.5705
- Fax: 775.684.5718
- Email: [email protected]
- https://web.archive.org/web/2/http://sos.state.nv.us/elections/
- 101 North Carson Street, Suite 3
Counties
- See also: Counties in Nevada
County offices are used to verify petitions before they are filed with the Nevada Secretary of State. Some candidates may also have to file with their home counties. Individual county contact information can be found below. To provide information for this table, please email us.
| Nevada county contact information | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Phone | Fax | Website | Physical address | Mailing address | ||
| Carson City | [email protected] | (775)-887-2087 | (775)887-2146 | link | Alan Glover, County Clerk, 885 East Musser Street, Suite 1025, Carson City, Nevada 89701-4475 | ||
| Churchill County | [email protected] | (775)-423-6028 | (775) 423-7069 | link | Kelly G. Helton, County Clerk,155 N Taylor St, Suite 110, Fallon, Nevada 89406-2748 | ||
| Clark County | [email protected] | (702)-455-VOTE | (702) 455-2793 | link | Joe P. Gloria, Registrar of Voters, 965 Trade Drive Suite A, North Las Vegas, NV 89030-7802 | P.O. Box 3909, Las Vegas, Nevada 89127-3909 | |
| Douglas County | [email protected] | (775)-782-9023 | (775) 782-9016 | link | Ted Thran, County Clerk, 1616 8th Street, 2nd Floor, Minden, Nevada 89423-0218 | P.O. Box 218, Minden, Nevada 89423-0218 | |
| Elko County | [email protected] | (775)-753-4600 | 775-753-4610 | link | Carol Fosmo, County Clerk, 550 Court St. 3rd Floor, Elko, Nevada 89801-3518 | ||
| Esmeralda County | [email protected] | (775)-485-6367 | 775-485-6376 | link | LaCinda "Cindy" Elgan, County Clerk, 233 Crook Avenue, Goldfield, Nevada 89013-0547 | P.O. Box 547, Goldfield, Nevada 89013-0547 | |
| Eureka County | [email protected] | (775)-237-5262 | (775) 237-6015 | link | Beverly Conley, County Clerk, County Courthouse, Main Street, Eureka, Nevada 89316-0677 | P.O. Box 677, Eureka, Nevada 89316-0677 | |
| Humboldt County | [email protected] | (775)-623-6343 | (775) 623-6309 | link | Tami Rae Spero, County Clerk, 50 W. 5th Street, #207, Winnemucca, Nevada 89445-3199 | ||
| Lander County | [email protected] | (775)-635-5738 | (775)635-0394 | link | Sadie Sullivan, County Clerk, 315 So. Humboldt Street, Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820-9998 | ||
| Lincoln County | [email protected] | (775)-962-5390 | 775 962-5180 | link | Lisa C. Lloyd, County Clerk,181 North Main Street, Suite 201, Pioche, Nevada 89043-0090 | P.O. Box 90, Pioche, Nevada 89043-0090 | |
| Lyon County | [email protected] | (775)-463-6501 | 775 463-5305 | link | Nikki A. Bryan, County Clerk, 27 South Main Street, Yerington, Nevada 89447-2571 | ||
| Mineral County | [email protected] | (775)-945-2446 | 775 945-0706 | link | Cherrie A. George, County Clerk, 105 South "A" Street, Suite 1, Hawthorne, Nevada 89415-0400 | P.O. Box 1450, Hawthorne, Nevada 89415-0400 | |
| Nye County | [email protected] | (775)-482-8127 | 775 482-8133 | link | Sandra L. "Sam" Merlino, County Clerk, 101 Radar Road, Tonopah, Nevada 89049-1031 | P.O. Box 1031, Tonopah, Nevada 89049-1031 | |
| Pershing County | [email protected] | (775)-273-2208 | 775 273-3015 | link | Lacey Donaldson, County Clerk, 398 Main Street, Lovelock, Nevada 89419-0820 | P.O. Box 820, Lovelock, Nevada 89419-0820 | |
| Storey County | [email protected] | (775)-847-0969 | 775 847-0921 | link | Vanessa DuFresne, County Clerk, 26 S. "B" Street, Drawer "D," Virginia City, Nevada 89440-0139 | ||
| Washoe County | [email protected] | (775)-328-3670 | 775 328-3747 | link | Luanne Cutler, Registrar of Voters, 1001 E. Ninth Street, RM A135, Reno, NV 89512 | P.O. Box 11130, Reno, Nevada 89520 | |
| White Pine County | [email protected] | (775) 293-6509 | 775 289-2544 | link | Lin Burleigh, County Clerk, 801 Clark Street #4, Ely, Nevada 89301-1994 | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Nevada campaign finance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Campaign finance regulation
- Campaign finance requirements for Nevada ballot measures
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Nevada
- Campaign finance agencies in Nevada
- Nevada
Footnotes
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "About the FEC," accessed June 27, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate Registration Brochure," accessed December 7, 2012
- ↑ New York Times, "Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit," January 21, 2010
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Speechnow.org v. FEC," April 7, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Two Federal Court Rulings Could Change Campaign Finance Landscape," March 26, 2010
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Ongoing Litigation," accessed March 18, 2015
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 294A, Section 007," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 294A, Section 0075," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 294A, Section 0035," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 294A, Section 005," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 294A, Section 120," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 294A, Section 200," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 Nevada Secretary of State, "Campaign Guide 2014," accessed February 11, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 294A, Section 128," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 294A, Section 130," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 294A, Section 350," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 294A, Section 125," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 294A, Section 160," accessed February 12, 2014
- ↑ Nevada Revised Statutes, "Title 24, Chapter 294A, Section 420," accessed February 12, 2014
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