• Groups making ONLY independent expenditures and soliciting or raising funds earmarked for Connecticut elections or referenda should form an Independent Expenditure (IE) Political Committee.
  
  

  • Register using SEEC Form 8. This form may be filed through eCRIS or may be submitted by mail or in person. Newly registered political committees are also required to file a disclosure statement with their registration statement disclosing the receipt of their first contribution or disbursement. If they have not received their first contribution or disbursement at the time of registration, then they must file a disclosure statement within 48 hours of receiving it.
  • File campaign finance reports using SEEC Form 40. These reports must be filed by eCRIS unless the committee has not raised or spent more than $1,000 during the current calendar year or in the preceding regular election cycle (or since inception in the case of a durational committee) and is able to demonstrate good cause for not being able to comply with the electronic filing requirement, as determined by the Commission.
  • After the convention, caucus or town committee meeting is held for the purpose of endorsing candidates, Independent Expenditure Political Committees making or obligating to make independent expenditures for statewide or General Assembly candidates that in the aggregate exceed $1,000 must file reports within 24 hours of making or obligating to make the expenditure.
  • Outside the 24 hour reporting period (which begins the day following the day that the convention is held), the periodic reporting requirements

    Traditional political committees (SEEC Form 20 filers) and independent expenditure only political committees (SEEC Form 40 filers) must file according to the schedule of a political committee:
    January 10, April 10, July 10, and October 10;
    7 days preceding the primary or referendum, if they have received or spent in connection with a primary or referendum;
    7 days preceding the election (during an odd year, if they have received or spent in connection with the election; during an even year, they must file regardless of activity);
    45 days after the election when the election is not held in November.
    
    Unlike other persons, committees must file on the four quarterly dates and the seventh day preceding the election date (during an even year) regardless of whether they had any specific incidents of financial activity. Commission staff prepares filing calendars for committees setting forth the specific filing deadlines and publishes them on the Commission’s website.

    apply. For committees spending only on referenda or municipal or judge of probate races, there are also no 24 hour reporting period requirements and the periodic reporting requirements apply.

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• Groups or individuals making only independent expenditures with funds from their general treasury which were not solicited or received for use in Connecticut elections are Incidental Reporters.
  
  

  • There is no registration required.
  • File campaign finance reports when expenditures exceed $1,000 using SEEC Form 26-LONG for the first filing and a SEEC Form 26-SHORT for subsequent filings. These forms should be scanned and emailed to SEEC.eCris.Info@ct.gov or faxed to 860-622-4926.
  • After the convention, caucus or town committee meeting is held for the purpose of endorsing candidates, persons making or obligating to make independent expenditures for statewide or General Assembly candidates that in the aggregate exceed $1,000 must file reports within 24 hours of making or obligating to make the expenditure.
  • Outside the 24 hour reporting period (which begins the day following the day that the convention is held), the periodic reporting requirements

    Traditional political committees (SEEC Form 20 filers) and independent expenditure only political committees (SEEC Form 40 filers) must file according to the schedule of a political committee:
    January 10, April 10, July 10, and October 10;
    7 days preceding the primary or referendum, if they have received or spent in connection with a primary or referendum;
    7 days preceding the election (during an odd year, if they have received or spent in connection with the election; during an even year, they must file regardless of activity);
    45 days after the election when the election is not held in November.
    
    Unlike other persons, committees must file on the four quarterly dates and the seventh day preceding the election date (during an even year) regardless of whether they had any specific incidents of financial activity. Commission staff prepares filing calendars for committees setting forth the specific filing deadlines and publishes them on the Commission’s website.

    apply. For persons spending only on referenda or municipal or judge of probate races, there are also no 24 hour reporting period requirements and the periodic reporting requirements apply.

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• Groups soliciting and receiving contributions for Connecticut elections and making contributions directly to such candidates and committees, or making expenditures coordinated with candidates and committees should form a Traditional Political Committee.
  
  

  • Register using SEEC Form 3. Newly registered political committees are also required to file a disclosure statement with their registration statement disclosing the receipt of their first contribution or disbursement. If they have not received their first contribution or disbursement at the time of registration, then they must file a disclosure statement within 48 hours of receiving it.
  • File campaign finance reports using SEEC Form 20 or if you have not spent or received more than $1,000, you can file SEEC Form 21. These reports must be filed by eCRIS unless the committee has not raised or spent more than $1,000 during the current calendar year or in the preceding regular election cycle (or since inception in the case of a durational committee) and is able to demonstrate good cause for not being able to comply with the electronic filing requirement, as determined by the Commission.
  • During a primary campaign or general election campaign period, committees spending on statewide or General Assembly candidates that in the aggregate exceed $1,000 must file reports within 24 hours of making or obligating to make the expenditure. Generally speaking, the 24-hour reporting period begins the day after the convention, caucus or town committee meeting is held for the purpose of endorsing those candidates.
  • Outside the 24 hour reporting period (which begins the day following the day that the convention is held), the periodic reporting requirements

    Traditional political committees (SEEC Form 20 filers) and independent expenditure only political committees (SEEC Form 40 filers) must file according to the schedule of a political committee:
    January 10, April 10, July 10, and October 10;
    7 days preceding the primary or referendum, if they have received or spent in connection with a primary or referendum;
    7 days preceding the election (during an odd year, if they have received or spent in connection with the election; during an even year, they must file regardless of activity);
    45 days after the election when the election is not held in November.
    
    Unlike other persons, committees must file on the four quarterly dates and the seventh day preceding the election date (during an even year) regardless of whether they had any specific incidents of financial activity. Commission staff prepares filing calendars for committees setting forth the specific filing deadlines and publishes them on the Commission’s website.

    apply. For persons spending only on referenda or municipal or judge of probate races there are also no 24 hour reporting period requirements and the periodic reporting requirements apply.

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   How Do I Find Independent Expenditure Reports?

       Click here for Independent Expenditure Search

   Additional Guidance Recently Issued by the Commission:

•    Declaratory Ruling 2018-01: Political Activity of Organized Groups
•    Advisory Opinion 2014-02: Disclosure of Expenditures in Campaign Finance Statements Pursuant to Public Act 13-180
•    Declaratory Ruling 2014-02: Candidate's Solicitation of Contributions and Covered Transfers Pursuant to Public Act 13-180
•    Declaratory Ruling 2014-01: Construction of the Phrase "Make or Obligate to Make" as Applied to Disclosure of Independent Expenditures
•    Declaratory Ruling 2013-02: Contributions to Political Committees, Independent Expenditures and State Contractor Contributions Limitations
•    Declaratory Ruling 2013-01: Administration of Independent Expenditure Disclosure Requirements Under Public Act 13-180

   Attribution Requirements for Independent Expenditures

• For any written, typed or other printed communication, including on a billboard, or any web-based, written communication, the attribution must contain:
  
  

  • The words “Paid for by” followed by the name of the person making the independent expenditure.
  • The following statement: “This message was made independent of any candidate or political party.”
  • IF during the ninety-day period prior to the primary or election for which the independent expenditure is made, THEN you must also list the names of the five persons who made the five largest aggregate covered transfers aggregating $5,000 or more to the person making such communication during the twelve-month period immediately prior to such primary or election, as applicable.**
  • The following statement: “[A]dditional information about [the person making such communication] may be found on the State Elections Enforcement Commission’s Internet website.”

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• For any video broadcast by television, satellite or Internet, the attribution must contain:
  
  

  • The words “Paid for by” followed by the name of the person making the independent expenditure.
  • The following statement, as both an audio message and a written statement at the end of the advertising for a period of not less than four seconds: “This message was paid for by [the person making such communication] and made independent of any candidate or political party.”
  • IF during the ninety-day period prior to the primary or election for which the independent expenditure is made, THEN you must also list the names of the five persons who made the five largest aggregate covered transfers aggregating $5,000 or more to the person making such communication during the twelve-month period immediately prior to such primary or election, as applicable.**
  • The following statement: “[A]dditional information about [the person making such communication] may be found on the State Elections Enforcement Commission’s Internet website.”

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• For any audio communication broadcast by radio, satellite or Internet, the attribution must contain:
  
  

  • The words “Paid for by” followed by the name of the person making the independent expenditure.
  • A personal audio statement by the person’s agent at the end of the message (1) identifying the person paying for the expenditure, and (2) indicating that the message was made independent of any candidate or political party, using the following form: “I am [name and title of the person’s agent], of [the person]. This message was made independent of any candidate or political party.”
  • IF during the ninety-day period prior to the primary or election for which the independent expenditure is made, THEN you must also list the names of the five persons who made the five largest aggregate covered transfers aggregating $5,000 or more to the person making such communication during the twelve-month period immediately prior to such primary or election, as applicable.**
  • The following statement: “[A]dditional information about [the person making such communication] may be found on the State Elections Enforcement Commission’s Internet website.”

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• For any communication by telephone call (including automated and live telephone calls), the attribution must contain:
  
  

  • The words “Paid for by” followed by the name of the person of the person making the independent expenditure.
  • The following statement: “This message was made independent of any candidate or political party.”
  • The narrative of the telephone call must also identify the person making the independent expenditure.
  • IF during the ninety-day period prior to the primary or election for which the independent expenditure is made, THEN you must also list the names of the five persons who made the five largest aggregate covered transfers aggregating $5,000 or more to the person making such communication during the twelve-month period immediately prior to such primary or election, as applicable.**
  • The following statement: “[A]dditional information about [the person making such communication] may be found on the State Elections Enforcement Commission’s Internet website.”

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    ** Nesting Dolls provisions may also apply if a listed top five donor is not a human being.