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ORCA FAQs

Campaign Setup

I chose the wrong office or jurisdiction when I set up the committee and need to correct it.

How does a continuing committee start the new calendar year?

How do I get started?

Does a continuing committee do anything special when a new calendar year starts?

I'm setting up my campaign and don't know if it's a candidate campaign or continuing committee.

I've downloaded ORCA, clicked "Open Campaign," and find nothing.

I've created a duplicate committee and need to delete one.

Expenditures - Schedule A

How do I enter my online contribution processor's transaction fees?

I mistakenly filed a C-4 report marking it "Final." How do I fix it?

Does it matter if I enter items out of date order?

I entered a duplicate expenditure and need to correct it.

I entered an expenditure and it doesn't show up on the Schedule A.

How do I enter a monetary expenditure?

How can I look at all the expenditures I've entered in ORCA?

How do I enter reimbursements I make to the candidate?

What is the "itemize always" box for on the expenditure screen?

Contributions - Form C3

How do I enter my online contribution processor's transaction fees?

How do I enter a $2,000 contribution when my contribution limit is $1,000 per election?

Why is ORCA warning me that the candidate's personal contribution exceeds the limit?

How do I know who the contributor is when I receive a check with two names on it?

What do I do when I receive a contribution from an individual who I have set up as part of a couple?

I entered a contribution from a couple, but the contribution doesn't show up on the C-3 report.

How do I enter retired, student or unemployed contributors?

ORCA is rejecting my C-3 report and the error message says "Segment Identifier Not Recognized."

I entered occupation and employer information for my contributor, but it doesn't show up on the report.

How can I change a contributor's name if it was entered incorrectly?

What do I do when an expenditure check that I wrote isn't cashed?

What do I do when I refund a contribution or I deposit a contributor's check and my bank returns it as NSF?

Does it matter if I enter items out of date order?

How do I enter anonymous contributions?

What does the "itemize always" box do on the contribution screen?

I entered contributions, but there's no C-3 report.

How do I "undeposit" an item?

How do I delete an entire deposit?

What should I do if I file a duplicate C-3 report?

I entered a pledge, but now the donor says he can't honor the entire amount.

Updates, Miscellaneous

How does a continuing committee start the new calendar year?

Does a continuing committee do anything special when a new calendar year starts?

I've created a duplicate committee and need to delete one.

Do I have to validate reports before I transmit them?

I've created my committee in ORCA and now nothing happens.

I need to create a committee and electronically file reports in ORCA for a previous year.

How do I set up my campaign to electronically file reports with the City of Seattle in addition to the PDC?

Do you have post-election tips for local ballot measure committees?

Filer ID/passwords

What is my committee identification number (filer ID)?

I already have a filer ID and password from filing the personal financial affairs statement. Why won't they work in ORCA?

How do I change my passwords?

What do I do with the filer ID?

What do I do to fix incorrect passwords?

What is my filer identification number?

Amending

I mistakenly filed a C-4 report marking it "Final." How do I fix it?

What do I do when the report is due, but I don't have all of the information I need to include for a contributor or vendor?

What do I do when an expenditure check that I wrote isn't cashed?

What do I do when I refund a contribution or I deposit a contributor's check and my bank returns it as NSF?

I entered a duplicate expenditure and need to correct it.

How do I amend a report?

How do I "undeposit" an item?

How do I delete an entire deposit?

What should I do if I file a duplicate C-3 report?

Contribution Limits

I'm a legislative candidate and received $5,000 from my party, but ORCA warns me that the contribution exceeds the limit.

How do I enter a $2,000 contribution when my contribution limit is $1,000 per election?

Why is ORCA warning me that the candidate's personal contribution exceeds the limit?

Error Messages

Why is ORCA warning me that the candidate's personal contribution exceeds the limit?

The January C-4 report for my continuing committee was rejected because the filer ID/election 2017 conflicts with 2018.

What do I do if I get an error message that my filer ID is incorrect or that my committee is not registered for the election year?

What does the error message "computer cannot connect to the server" mean?

What does the error message "server error - the required attribute contID is missing" mean?

I reported a contribution to my committee from a business and received a message saying I'm missing occupation and employer.

Why am I warned that I need to add the address when the contribution entered is not more than $25?

ORCA is rejecting my C-3 report and the error message says "Segment Identifier Not Recognized."

C4 reporting periods

I'm trying to file my C-4 and I don't have any reporting periods to choose.

I need to file a June C-4, but the reporting period includes part of July.

Can a continuing committee change the reporting periods to monthly for a year in which the committee doesn't participate in the elections?

I don't have enough C-4 reporting periods. Can I add more?

I need to add a reporting period for my final C-4 report.

I set up my campaign with a start date of February 1 and filed my first report. Now I realize I had a transaction in January, but cannot add the January reporting period.

How do I combine reporting periods into a single reporting period?

How does a "single election" committee create C-4 reporting period through the general election?

How do I edit reporting periods so that I can file one report containing all activity from the start of my campaign until today when I change from the Mini to Full Reporting option?

Does a continuing committee do anything special when a new calendar year starts?

In Kind, debt - Schedule B

Can the campaign reimburse the candidate when s/he uses personal funds for campaign-related purchases?

How do I enter refunds of payments the campaign made?

How do I enter payments the candidate made using personal funds?

I entered a vendor debt, but it doesn't show up on Schedule B.

How do I show that debts have been paid?

What is an "in-kind loan?"

What's the difference between candidate loan and debt?

What do I do with the ORCA data after the election?

Loans - Schedule L

Can the campaign reimburse the candidate when s/he uses personal funds for campaign-related purchases?

What's the difference between candidate loan and debt?

How much can a candidate loan the campaign?

How do I enter loan repayments to the candidate?

The loans I entered don't show up on the Schedule L or the C3.

I entered a cash loan to the campaign and it isn't showing in the "Make a Deposit" screen.

Names and contacts

How do I transfer contacts from one ORCA campaign to another?

I have "group contacts" to import, but need to remove an individual(s).

How to correct contributor information, like names, addresses, or employer and occupation?

How do I know who the contributor is when I receive a check with two names on it?

What do I do when I receive a contribution from an individual who I have set up as part of a couple?

I entered a contribution from a couple, but the contribution doesn't show up on the C-3 report.

How do I enter retired, student or unemployed contributors?

What do I do when the report is due, but I don't have all of the information I need to include for a contributor or vendor?

Can I get a list of contributors?

How can I change a contributor's name if it was entered incorrectly?

What is the group contribution feature?

Importing & Exporting

How do I transfer contacts from one ORCA campaign to another?

I have "group contacts" to import, but need to remove an individual(s).

Can I get a list of contributors?

Can I print a list of contributors?

Can I print a list of expenses?

How do I import names and addresses from an Excel file into ORCA?

I tried to import contacts, but got an error message during the import or the import failed.

Carry Forward

My carry forward includes a petty cash account. How do I enter it in the new campaign?

How do I enter surplus funds from my last campaign?

What do I use for a carry forward balance if I know there's a discrepancy between my bank account and my last report?

My first C-4 report for the campaign shows an amount on line 1 and it should be $0.

Surplus Funds

How do I enter surplus funds from my last campaign?

What are surplus funds?

Can the surplus funds sit in my campaign account or do I have to move them to a new account?

If I leave my surplus funds in the same bank account to use for the next election, can I still file my final C-4 for this election?

How do I set up and report my surplus funds account?

Between campaigns, may I use surplus funds to pay maintenance fees for things like the campaign bank account, P.O. box, and website?

Form C4

My first C-4 report for the campaign shows an amount on line 1 and it should be $0.

Line 8 from my last C-4 doesn't match Line 1 on the next C-4 report.

What do I do with the ORCA data after the election?

Form C1 and C1PC

Can I use ORCA to file the registration (C-1 or C-1pc)?

Backup and Restore

How do I backup my data?

How do I move my data to another computer?

How do I restore my data?

How do I install a campaign on my computer that the former treasurer emailed to me?

Electronic Filing/Transmitting

What are those green and purple check marks in the report manager?

Should I worry if there's no check mark in the report manager after I file a C3 and receive confirmation it was filed?

How do I send reports to the PDC after I enter the information?

How come only one report submits when I send my C-3 and C-4?

What does the "edit text attachment" button do?

Do I have to validate reports before I transmit them?