Campaign finance agencies in Colorado
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In Colorado, there is one primary agency involved in campaign finance regulation: the Colorado Secretary of State. The secretary of state oversees reporting processes for state-level candidates and political committees. In addition, the secretary of state has the authority to set campaign finance reporting rules and to impose civil penalties upon violators of Colorado's campaign finance laws.[1]
Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division
- See also: Colorado Secretary of State
Authority
As the state's chief election official, the Colorado Secretary of State is authorized to oversee reporting processes for state-level candidates and political committees. This authority includes preparing forms and setting reporting rules. In addition, the secretary of state is authorized is to impose fines upon violators of the state's campaign finance laws. An individual who violates regulations relating to contributions or voluntary spending limits "shall be subject to a civil penalty of at least double and up to five times the amount contributed, received, or spent in violation [of the law]." The secretary of state may also impose a fine of $50 per day against candidates or committees that fail to file required disclosure statements or other information on time.[2][3]
Day-to-day administration of Colorado's campaign finance laws is conducted by the Elections Division of the state department.
Organization
The table below provides contact information for key Elections Division staff as of July 2015.[4]
| Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division—staff as of July 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Position | Email address |
| Wayne Williams | Secretary of State | [email protected] |
| Judd Choate | Director of Elections | [email protected] |
| Hilary Rudy | Deputy Director of Elections | [email protected] |
| Steve Bouey | Manager, Campaign Finance Office | [email protected] |
| Kris Reynolds | Trainer, Campaign Finance Office | [email protected] |
| Melissa Polk | Legal Analyst, Campaign Finance Office | [email protected] |
| Source: Colorado Secretary of State, "Contact the Elections Division," accessed July 23, 2015 | ||
Electronic reporting system
Candidates and political committees file campaign finance disclosure reports electronically. The Elections Division developed the TRACER (Transparency in Contribution and Expenditure Reporting) Campaign Finance system "in response to the growing number of committees required to report contributions and expenditures, to increase the efficiency of data entry, provide more accurate data, enhance reporting capabilities and improve user navigation of the system." TRACER can be accessed here.[5]
Agency budget, 2015
In fiscal year 2015, the Elections Division budget totaled $4.9 million. See the table below for further details.[6]
| Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division—agency budget in fiscal year 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spending area | Amount | |
| Personal services | $2,118,433 | |
| Operating expenses | $200,389 | |
| Help America Vote Act program | $349,222 | |
| Local election reimbursement | $2,004,036 | |
| Initiative and referendum | $250,000 | |
| Total | $4,922,080 | |
| Source: Colorado State Legislature, "Long Bill—HB14-1336," accessed July 29, 2015 | ||
Contact information
Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division
- 1700 Broadway, Suite 200
- Denver, Colorado 80290
- Telephone: 303-894-2200; 303-894-2200 (Campaign Finance Office)
- Email: [email protected], [email protected] (Campaign Finance Office)
Recent news
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See also
External links
- Colorado Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance"
- Colorado Secretary of State, "TRACER Campaign Finance Disclosure Website"
Footnotes
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance," accessed July 23, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Constitution, "Article XXVIII, Section 9," accessed July 29, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Constitution, "Article XXVIII, Section 10," accessed July 29, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "Contact the Elections Division," accessed July 23, 2015
- ↑ Colorado Secretary of State, "TRACER," accessed July 23, 2015
- ↑ Colorado State Legislature, "Long Bill—HB14-1336," accessed July 29, 2015
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