Organizations and groups that raise or spend money to influence elections or initiate a referendum in Maine may be required to register as a political action committee (PAC) or a ballot question committee (BQC) and file campaign finance reports with the Commission. The campaign finance laws regulating PACs and BQCs also apply in all county-wide elections, municipal ballot question elections, and to candidate elections in towns and cities with a population of 15,000 or more. A committee that is formed for a town or city election of 15,000 or more people will file reports with the Town/City Clerk and not with the Commission.
In addition to PACs and BQCs, there are also political party committees, such as the Maine Democratic State Committee and the Maine Republican Party Committee that must register and file reports with the Commission. Several local political groups, such as the Portland City Democrats or the Androscoggin Republicans have formed Local Party Committees that will periodically file reports with the Commission.