The Commission's statutory responsibility and original purpose is to enforce the provisions of state election law that govern elections, primaries and referenda. The Enforcement Unit of the Commission receives complaints and evaluates whether they allege facts, which if proven true, would constitute a violation of election law. If so, the complaint is docketed and assigned to a staff member or members for an investigation. Complaints range from allegations pertaining to campaign finance violations to election administration statutes and must be filed under oath, except for town clerks and the Secretary of the State, who may file a statement with the Commission. The Commission may also initiate an investigation on its own initiative. The staff drafts proposed Commission decisions for dismissals or negotiated resolutions, and when cases proceed to hearing, staff attorneys act as civil prosecutors. Additionally, the Enforcement Unit collects late filing fees, civil penalties and forfeitures for violations of state election law, and collaborates with other agencies with jurisdiction over the election laws, such as the Secretary of the State, the Chief State's Attorney, and the United States Attorney.