Reporting Options Explained

All committees who are required to register a campaign must select either the full or mini reporting option.  The choice is guided by the amount of money a committee intends to raise and spend.  Regardless of which option outlined below is chosen, all political committees must keep accurate, detailed records and make these records available for public inspection during the eight days preceding the primary, general or special election in which they're participating.

Mini Reporting:

This reporting option is available to continuing political committees who, during a calendar year, will raise and spend no more than $5,000 and who will receive no more than $500 from any one contributor.  Political committees that organize for a particular campaign such as supporting or opposing a ballot measure or a slate of candidates and select Mini Reporting will, during the entire campaign, raise and spend no more than $5,000 and will receive no more than $500 from any one contributor. 

Political committees selecting the mini reporting option file a registration statement (C-1pc) at the start of the campaign and keep records of the contributions received and expenditures made.  In order to continue as a Mini Reporting committee from year to year, a continuing political committee must file a C-1pc each January.

Note:  Mini reporting committees must make their financial records available for public inspection and comply with the political advertising requirements.

Full Reporting: 

Political Committees that raise and spend over $5,000 or who wish to receive more than $500 from any contributor must use the full reporting method.  Full reporting filers will submit frequent, detailed reports of the contributions they receive (C-3 reports) and the expenditures they make (C-4 reports with various schedules).The C-4 itself is used to summarize the committee’s financial activity

Changing Reporting Options

Candidates should carefully consider how much money they intend to raise and spend, research past campaigns for the same office, and select the reporting option that they intend to comply with for the duration of the campaign.  The PDC realizes that candidates are not always able to accurately forecast campaign costs and may need to switch to a different reporting option.  

From mini to full reporting:

Changing from mini to full reporting requires the PDC staff’s approval. For any election other than the general election, the deadline is 30 business days before the election. June 25 is the deadline for the 2018 primary election; August 31 is the deadline for the general election.

So long as a completed application for changing options is received by the deadline, the application will be approved. At the time of your request, you must not have exceeded the mini reporting limits.

In order to change from one reporting option to another, a committee must notify any opposing committee in writing of the change (certified mail is suggested) and send the following documents to the PDC’s executive director:

  • a statement that verifies the committee has notified opponents in writing of the plan to change reporting options;
  • copies of those notifications to opposing candidates or committees;
  • an amended C-1pc indicating the new reporting option; and
  • PDC forms C-3 and C-4 with relevant schedules and attachments disclosing all contributions and expenditures disclosing all contributions and expenditures.

Filing these reports can take some time – don’t wait until the last minute if you are going to change options.

If a candidate or political committee wishes to change from mini to full reporting and the completed application for changing options is received at the PDC’s office on or before the deadline, the application will be approved by the executive director.  Approval to change reporting options received after the deadline will only be approved under the following circumstances:

  • Commission staff failed to notify the applicant of the ability to change options at least 40 business days prior to the election
  • An independent expenditure is made in support of the applicant’s opponent or in opposition to the applicant within 30 business days of the election; or
  • A political committee on one side of an election campaign or proposition has opposition who received approval to change reporting options.

Changing from full to mini reporting option: 

No approval is necessary.  Simply amend the C-1pc indicating the new option.