State campaign finance agencies
Campaign finance regulation in the states involves two primary types of activities: administration and enforcement. Administration entails the oversight of the reporting process itself and public disclosure of campaign finance information. Enforcement involves the investigation of alleged violations and the attendant punishments. Disciplinary actions used in the enforcement process can include civil penalties (i.e., fines), as well as criminal penalties (e.g., fines, imprisonment).[1]
Secretaries of state are often responsible for administrative aspects of campaign finance regulation in the states. For example, secretaries of state often receive and process required campaign finance disclosure reports. Attorneys general or district attorneys are usually responsible for enforcing the law via prosecutions of criminal violations.[1]
In some states, single commissions or agencies bear responsibility for both administrative and enforcement functions. For instance, an independent agency may be authorized to process reports, investigate alleged violations, and levy civil penalties against violators. Criminal violations of the law typically remain prosecuted by attorneys general or other government prosecutors.[1]
To learn more about campaign finance agencies by state, select a state from the map below. If on a mobile device, select a state from the dropdown menu below. A listing of state-level campaign finance agencies is provided in the table below the map.[1]
Campaign finance agencies by state
| Campaign finance agencies by state | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| State | Agencies | ||
| Alabama | Alabama Secretary of State, Elections Division Alabama Ethics Commission | ||
| Alaska | Alaska Public Offices Commission | ||
| Arizona | Arizona Secretary of State, Elections Division Arizona Attorney General | ||
| Arkansas | Arkansas Ethics Commission Arkansas Secretary of State, Elections Division | ||
| California | California Fair Political Practices Commission Political Reform Division | ||
| Colorado | Colorado Secretary of State, Elections Division | ||
| Connecticut | Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission | ||
| Delaware | Delaware Department of Elections Delaware Attorney General, Criminal Division | ||
| Florida | Florida Department of State, Division of Elections Florida Elections Commission | ||
| Georgia | Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission | ||
| Hawaii | Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission | ||
| Idaho | Idaho Secretary of State, Administration and Elections Office Idaho Attorney General | ||
| Illinois | Illinois State Board of Elections | ||
| Indiana | Indiana Secretary of State, Election Division | ||
| Iowa | Iowa Ethics & Campaign Disclosure Board | ||
| Kansas | Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission Kansas Secretary of State, Elections and Legislative Matters | ||
| Kentucky | Kentucky Registry of Election Finance | ||
| Louisiana | Louisiana Ethics Administration Program | ||
| Maine | Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices | ||
| Maryland | Maryland State Board of Elections Maryland State Prosecutor | ||
| Massachusetts | Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance Massachusetts Attorney General | ||
| Michigan | Michigan Secretary of State Michigan Attorney General | ||
| Minnesota | Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board | ||
| Mississippi | Mississippi Secretary of State, Elections Division Mississippi Attorney General | ||
| Missouri | Missouri Ethics Commission | ||
| Montana | Commissioner of Political Practices | ||
| Nebraska | Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission | ||
| Nevada | Nevada Secretary of State, Elections Division | ||
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire Secretary of State, Elections Division New Hampshire Attorney General, Criminal Justice Bureau | ||
| New Jersey | New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission | ||
| New Mexico | New Mexico Secretary of State, Elections Bureau | ||
| New York | New York State Board of Elections | ||
| North Carolina | North Carolina State Board of Elections | ||
| North Dakota | North Dakota Secretary of State, Elections Unit North Dakota Attorney General | ||
| Ohio | Ohio Secretary of State Ohio Elections Commission | ||
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma Ethics Commission | ||
| Oregon | Oregon Secretary of State, Elections Division | ||
| Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth, Bureau of Commissions, Elections and Legislation Pennsylvania Attorney General | ||
| Rhode Island | Rhode Island Board of Elections | ||
| South Carolina | South Carolina State Ethics Commission | ||
| South Dakota | South Dakota Secretary of State South Dakota Attorney General | ||
| Tennessee | Tennessee Registry of Election Finance | ||
| Texas | Texas Ethics Commission | ||
| Utah | Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office, Elections Division | ||
| Vermont | Vermont Secretary of State, Elections Division Vermont Attorney General | ||
| Virginia | Virginia State Board of Elections | ||
| Washington | Washington State Public Disclosure Commission | ||
| West Virginia | West Virginia Secretary of State | ||
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Government Accountability Board | ||
| Wyoming | Wyoming Secretary of State Wyoming Attorney General | ||
See also
- State campaign finance information
- Campaign finance regulation
- History of campaign finance reform
- State by state comparison of campaign finance reporting requirements
- Federal Election Commission
- Election policy on Ballotpedia
External links
Footnotes
