Naming the Committee

A political committee selects its own name under the following conditions:

  • A sponsored committee must include its sponsor’s name in the committee’s name. A committee with multiple sponsors may include all – but must include at least one – sponsor’s name in the committee’s name. The PDC does not dictate how the sponsor’s name will be incorporated into the committee’s name.
  • A political committee shall include a known sponsor in its name when registering. The committee must amend its registration 60 days before an election in which it participates if the sponsor has changed. 
  • No two active committees may have the same name. PDC staff will notify any committee that registers under a name already in use and instruct the committee to choose a different name.

Completing the Registration

Registrations must be filed electronically.

File Online

You will need the following information:

  • The committee’s full mailing address, including the nine-digit zip, if known. At a minimum, give the first five digits of the zip code. Also provide telephone and e-mail address.
  • Whether your group is a continuing committee or organized for one specified election.
  • The purpose/description of your committee. Single election year committees indicate whether the purpose is to support or oppose candidates and/or political parties. Committee types explained.
  • Give the name, address and relationship of any other committee with which your committee is affiliated either structurally, for joint fund raising purposes, or because the committee meets one of the factor tests.
  • Choose a reporting option after carefully noting the limitations that apply to mini reporting. Do not choose mini reporting unless the committee intends to stay within their monetary limits during the entire calendar year. Ballot measure committees must stay within the monetary limits during the entire campaign.
  • Identify the Campaign Manager’s or Media Contact’s name, address and daytime telephone number.
  • Identify the committee treasurer’s name, address and daytime telephone number. This is the person who is ultimately responsible for receiving contributions, making expenditures, keeping accurate, detailed records, and filing timely and accurate disclosure reports.
  • List the name, address and title of any person who performs only ministerial functions for the committee and another candidate or political committee.  Ministerial functions are activities carried out as part of the duties of an administrative office without exercise of personal judgment or discretion. Typically, persons performing ministerial functions may, under the supervision of a candidate or committee officer, file PDC reports, make deposits, pay bills, and maintain campaign finance records.
  • List the name, address and title of the committee’s chairperson, vice-chair, manager, coordinator and other key people. There is no legal requirement specifying what officers your committee must have, other than a treasurer.
  • Name the financial institution where the political committee’s bank account is maintained, along with the full address.
  • During the 10 days before each primary, general or special election in which your committee is spending money, campaign books of account must be open for public inspection by appointment. Supply contact information so that people who want to request appointments can do so.
  • At the end of the process, you will be asked to certify that you have authority to file the information, and that the information is correct. The filer acknowledges the duty to report changes to the campaign email address within 10 days. A campaign's email address constitutes its official address for purposes of all communication from the commission. 

Registration Exemption

A political committee is exempt from registering and reporting activities if its sole purpose is either:

  • to support or oppose a local ballot measure in a town or district that had fewer than 2,000 registered voters as of the last general election, or
  • to support or oppose candidates seeking election to office in a town or district that had fewer than 5,000 registered voters as of the last general election.

Note: Committees supporting or opposing candidates in small jurisdictions may be required to file independent expenditure reports under certain circumstances.