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Are You Required To File A C6
Report? |
Advertising Sponsors
A sponsor is a person, union, organization or other entity who makes an expenditure
for political advertising.
The C6 Report is used by sponsors to report Independent Expenditures,
Independent Expenditure Ads, and Electioneering
Communications.
Independent Expenditures are important because they are a constitutionally protected
form of speech and may not be subject to limit, unlike contributions. Therefore,
as long as an expenditure does not constitute a contribution, the person making
it is free to spend as much or a little as they desire.
Although there are no limits on the amounts spent on independent expenditures, they may
still be reportable to the Public Disclosure Commission based on expenditure amount
and timing .
REPORTING RESPONSIBILTY
All reports must be certified as correct by the sponsor paying for the
advertisement and filed in a timely manner.
If the sponsor is an individual using his own funds, the individual
must certify the report.
If the sponsor is a political committee, the
committee treasurer must certify the report.
If the sponsor is an entity, the individual responsible for authorizing
the expenditure on the entity's behalf must certify the report. For assistance call
toll free at:.
For assistance call toll free at:
1-877-601-2828.
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Did you, your business, union, organization or other person make political advertising
expenditures totaling $100 or more?
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NO > |
STOP - Don't File C6
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YES
v |
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Were they paid for by someone other than a candidate, a candidate's committee, or
agent?
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NO > |
STOP - Don't File C6
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YES
v |
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The sponsor did not receive the candidate's encouragement or approval
to do the ad?
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NO > |
STOP - Don't File C6
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YES
v |
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Did the sponsor do the advertising completely independent of any candidate or a
candidate's committee or agent?
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NO > |
STOP - Don't File C6
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YES
v |
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Did the political advertisement clearly identify at least one candidate for state,
local, or judicial office? |
NO > |
Did the ad support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure? |
NO > |
STOP - Don't File C6
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YES > |
STOP - This is an
Independent Expenditure
File a C6 report according to the schedule
below |
YES
v |
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The ad appeared within 60 days of an election in the candidate's jurisdiction?
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NO > |
Did the ad support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure? |
NO > |
STOP - Don't File C6
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YES > |
STOP - This is an
Independent Expenditure
File a C6 report according to the schedule
below |
YES
v |
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Either alone, or in combination with other communications by the sponsor identifying
the candidate, the ad has a fair market value of $5,000** or more?
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NO > |
Did the ad support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure? |
NO > |
STOP - Don't File C6
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YES > |
STOP - This is an
Independent Expenditure
File a C6 report according to the schedule
below |
YES
v |
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The ad appears through one or more of the following media - radio, television, postal
mailing, billboard, newspaper, or periodical? |
NO > |
Did the ad support or oppose a candidate or ballot measure? |
NO > |
STOP - Don't File C6
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YES > |
STOP - This is an
Independent Expenditure
File a C6 report according to the schedule
below |
YES
v |
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The ad does not communicate information relating
to just ballot measures?
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NO > |
Did the ad support or oppose a ballot measure? |
NO > |
STOP - Don't File C6
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YES > |
STOP - This is an
Independent Expenditure
File a C6 report according to the schedule
below |
YES
v |
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C6 Reporting Schedule for
Independent Expenditures |
For advertisements with a fair market value of $1000 or more
and appearing within 21 days of an election.
Reporting Deadline: C6 must be delivered in
electronic, fax or paper format to PDC within 24 hours
of, or on the first working day after, the date the advertisement was first published,
mailed, or otherwise presented to the public.
For independent expenditures totaling $100 or more in the aggregate.
Reporting Deadline: within 5 days of making the expenditure.
ALSO
Any business, union, association, organization or other entity -- except a lobbyist
employer that files an L-3 report or a political committee that files C-4 reports
-- making independent expenditures during a calendar year that total over $700 supporting
or opposing state office candidates or statewide ballot measures must file a C7 Report (PDF).
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STOP
This is an Electioneering Communication
File a C6 report
electronically
within 24 hours of, or on the first working day after, the date the
ad was first published, mailed, or otherwise presented to the public.
ALSO
Any business, union, association, organization or other entity -- except a lobbyist
employer that files an L-3 report or a political committee that files C-4 reports
-- making independent expenditures during a calendar year that total over $700 supporting
or opposing state office candidates or statewide ballot measures must file a C7
Report (PDF).
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** |
Required if the $5,000 or more reporting threshold is reached by aggregating the
fair market value of multiple political ads, report the triggering ad as well as
each of the earlier ads whose fair market value is included in the aggregate. |
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