Table of Contents
Establish Candidacy and Open a Campaign Committee
Potential candidates must meet all requirements established by the Department of Elections to become a qualified candidate. Individuals interested in running for office should review the Department of Elections’ candidate resources webpage.
To open a campaign committee and begin accepting contributions, potential candidates must file a Form 501 – Candidate Intention Statement and a Form 410 – Statement of Organization with the Ethics Commission. Links to these forms and additional information can be found on the Getting Started page of the Commission’s website.
Know the Rules of the Program
Candidates and their treasurers are responsible for knowing and adhering to all applicable laws and rules related to the Public Financing Program, as well as state and local laws regarding campaign finance.
These laws and rules can be explored on the Campaign Finance Laws page of the Commission’s website, the Candidates page of the Commission’s website, the California Fair Political Practice Commission’s (“FPPC”) Campaign Disclosure Manual for local candidates, and the Public Financing Program page of the Commission’s website.
Take the Candidate & Treasurer Training
Candidates for City office and their treasurers are required to complete an Ethics Commission training between 12 months and 30 days before an election. Candidates may apply for and receive public funds prior to taking the training, but must ensure that the training has been completed more than 30 days before the election.
Information about the training and instructions for filing a certification of training completion can be found on the Training for Candidates & Treasurers page of the Commission’s website.