County Central Committee Candidates
The following rules specifically apply to candidates seeking election to any county central committee (CCC) as well as county central committee officeholders in San Francisco. Candidates for these positions should also review the Candidate webpages for state and local rules applicable to all committees.
Candidates Not Raising or Spending $2,000 or More
Candidates and officeholders who do not raise or spend $2,000 or more do not have any reporting requirements with the San Francisco Ethics Commission.
Candidates who do not have reporting requirements with the San Francisco Ethics Commission do not need to open a campaign bank account but must still follow recordkeeping rules for a period of 4 years after the reporting period. Candidates with other open committees still maintain cross-filing obligations in all required jurisdictions.
Candidates Raising or Spending $2,000 or More
Candidates who do raise or spend $2,000 or more must complete the following steps:
1. Set up an electronic filing account
Candidates must file campaign statements electronically. In order to file reports electronically, candidates must register for electronic filing of campaign reports.
2. File a Candidate Intention Statement
Candidates must file the Candidate Intention Statement with the Ethics Commission after raising $2,000 or more.
3. File a Statement of Organization
Candidates who raise or spend $2,000 or more must also file a Statement of Organization Recipient Committee with the Secretary of State and the Ethics Commission within 10 days of meeting the $2,000 threshold.
The name of every candidate-controlled committee as stated on the Statement of Organization must include the last name of the controlling candidate, the office sought, and the year of the election. The abbreviation of “County Central Committee” to CCC may result in the rejection of the Statement of Organization.
4. Open a Campaign Bank Account
Committees must establish a campaign bank account if accepting contributions from others. Personal funds must be deposited into this account before making expenditures. However, filing fees may be paid with personal funds not stored in the campaign account.
Contributions
Local contribution limits on candidates do not apply to county central committee candidates. County central committees may accept contributions above the contribution limit set by San Francisco. Note that accepting contributions of $1,000 or more can trigger additional reporting requirements further discussed below.
Reporting and Recordkeeping
CCC committees must file the disclosure reports required by state law electronically with the Ethics Commission.
Campaign Reporting
A candidate-controlled county central committee must file semi-annual campaign reports as well as two preelection reports in the months before the election pursuant to a filing schedule established by state law. These reports are filed locally electronically using the Recipient Committee Campaign Report. The Ethics Commission requires these reports to be electronically filed through the electronic filing system.
24 Hour/10 Day Contribution Reports
Committees that receive contributions of $1,000 or more from a single source during the 90 days preceding the election must file a 24 Hour/10 Contribution Report electronically within 24 hours. Non-monetary contributions of $1,000 or more must be disclosed on this report within 48 hours.
More information about reporting for local committees can be found on the Candidate webpages and FPPC’s Campaign Manual 2.