Campaign Finance Requirements

Find information about campaign finance, including the most recent version of the Campaign Finance Manual, on the NC State Board of Elections website: General Candidate Requirements | NCSBE (link).

Within 10 days of one of the following (whichever occurs first):

1. Receiving money or anything of value in support of the campaign
2. Spending money in support of the campaign
3. Giving consent for anyone else to receive money or spend money for the purpose of bringing about that individual's nomination or election for office
4. Filing a notice of candidacy
5. Filing a Statement of Organization

• The candidate may appoint themselves or any individual who is a resident of North Carolina, apart from the candidate's spouse, to serve as treasurer for the committee. 
• Treasurers are responsible for maintaining all financial records of the committee, timely filing of reports, and ensuring the committee follows the campaign finance laws. 
• The treasurer is responsible for setting up the committee and notifying the Board of Elections when changes occur. 
• The treasurer should keep track of all committee transactions and keep records current within 7 days.
• Treasurers are required receive mandatory compliance training from the State Board of Elections within three months of appointment, and once every four years thereafter.

Yes. All candidates are required to open a committee. 

• Anything you purchase with personal funds for the campaign will count toward the $1,000 reporting threshold and must be tracked.
• FOR CANDIDATE COMMITTEES ONLY – If a candidate committee will not raise any money nor spend any money other than the candidate’s personal funds they do not need to provide bank account information.

The full list of rules can be found in the Campaign Finance Manual (PDF).

Contributions LESS THAN $50

• May be made in cash. 
• The committee must collect the name and complete mailing address of the contributor. 

Contributions GREATER THAN $50

• Must be in the form of a check, credit card charge, draft, money order, debit or other method subject to written verification.
• Must specifically designate the intended contributee chosen by the contributor. 
• In addition to the name and address, the committee must collect the (1) the job title or profession of the contributor; and (2) the contributor’s employer’s name or employer’s specific field of business activity. 

A candidate committee cannot accept contributions from the following sources:

• Corporations
• Business Entities
• Labor Unions
• Professional Associations
• Insurance Companies

A candidate committee cannot accept more than $5,600 from an individual or a political committee in a primary or general election.

Exceptions:  A candidate, the candidate's spouse, and state, district or county political party executive committees may make unlimited contributions.

Anonymous contributions are prohibited

Contributions made in the name of another are prohibited.

Yes. All committees must keep accurate records of contributions and expenditures regardless of whether the committee filed over or under the $1,000 threshold. If the threshold is exceeded, full disclosure of activity will be required.  Be mindful that money spent from your personal funds count toward the threshold and must be tracked.

No. It is required that campaign funds be maintained in a bank account that is used exclusively by the political committee. Many banks will require that you obtain an EIN number from the IRS to open the account. EIN numbers can be obtained by going to the IRS website or calling 800-829-4933.

• An in-kind contribution is anything of value that is given to a committee that is not money.  For example, an individual or other committee may contribute cups and napkins to a committee for an event. The fair market value of those items is recorded as the amount of the contribution. 
• In-kind contributions count toward contribution limitations and must be reported.  
• Another common in-kind contribution is a candidate's filing fee.  If the filing fee is paid with personal funds, it is an in-kind contribution.
• Reporting in-kind contributions can be tricky for some committees.  The in-kind donation is recorded twice - once as a contribution, and once as a disbursement.  

If a candidate purchases $400 in signs for the committee using personal funds, that amount would be recorded on two separate forms.

1. Contributions from Individuals form (CRO-1210)
2. In-Kind Contribution form (CRO-1510)

The reasoning behind reporting the amount as both a contribution and a disbursement is to recognize the value of the transaction even though funds did not flow through the bank.  

Yes. Anonymous contributions are prohibited. If you hold a fundraiser and sell hot dog plates for $5 and drinks for $1, you must have the name and address of each person who buys a plate or a drink and keep track of how much money they give.