All General Assembly candidates are required to file an affidavit with the Commission, with the exception of candidates who have filed a 1B exemption from forming a candidate committee – they are presumed to be nonparticipating and are not required to file either form. Candidates who elect to participate in the Program (“participating candidates”) must complete the Affidavit of Intent to Abide by Expenditure Limits and Other Program Requirements (SEEC Form CEP 10). Candidates who elect not to participate in the Program (“nonparticipating candidates”) must complete the Affidavit of Intent Not to Abide by Expenditure Limits (SEEC Form CEP 11).

The deadline to opt in or out of the Program depends on whether a candidate is in a primary. A candidate in a primary who does not join the Program by the primary deadline cannot later join the Program for the general election.

• Candidates must raise an aggregate amount of small-dollar monetary contributions from individuals (“qualifying contributions”) between $5 and $320. The threshold amount varies based on the office sought, as set forth in the next chart;

• Candidates must receive such contributions from a certain number of individuals residing in the district (“in-district contributions”). The threshold number of such individual contributors varies based on the office sought, as set forth in the next chart; and

• Candidates must obtain access to the ballot, as discussed below. The method of ballot access is part of the process to measure public support and therefore determines the grant amount of a qualified candidate committee.

Qualifying contributions are small-dollar monetary contributions from individuals. In-kind contributions, personal funds, and loans do not count as qualifying contributions. All qualifying contributions must be fully disclosed and adequately documented. Principals of current and prospective state contractors, as well as minors under the age of 12, may not make qualifying contributions. Coordinating expenditures with committees or people who are not permissible donors may disqualify a committee from participation in the Program or cause a grant to need to be returned.

For the 2024 election only, Public Act 23-205, section 189, freezes the aggregate qualifying contribution amounts that legislative candidates must raise at their 2022 amounts, i.e., $17,300 for state senator and $5, 800 for state representative. Please note that the CPI adjustment for an individual’s contribution limit for the 2024 election is not affected by this freeze.

Qualification Thresholds for General Assembly Offices

The Program permits participating candidates to provide a limited amount of personal funds to their campaigns. Candidates may only provide such personal funds to their campaigns before applying for an initial grant. The grant will be reduced by the amount of any allowable personal funds provided. Personal funds do not constitute qualifying contributions.

The Program expressly limits the aggregate amount and permissible sources of any loans provided to the candidate committees of candidates intending to participate in the Program. Only financial institutions may provide loans, valued up to an aggregate of $1,000. The $1,000 loan limit applies to candidate committees of candidates seeking any office covered by the Program. Program requirements further provide that any such borrowed funds do not constitute qualifying contributions. The candidate committee of a participating candidate must repay all outstanding loans before applying for a grant from the Citizens’ Election Fund.

No person, political committee, or party committee can endorse or guarantee a loan or aggregate loans exceeding $500, except the candidate. In a general election, a state central committee may endorse or guarantee a loan or aggregate loans from financial institutions up to $1,000.

As noted earlier, in addition to raising the required amount of qualifying contributions, candidates must also qualify for the ballot to be eligible to receive public funds. This ballot requirement applies in any primary, election, or special election. The Office of the Secretary of the State administers the ballot qualification process. For more information, contact the Secretary of the State, Legislative and Election Administration Division at 860.509.6100 (or toll-free at 800.540.3764).