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Campaign finance requirements in Connecticut
 in Connecticut |
 |
Federal campaign finance laws and regulations |
|---|
| Campaign finance reform |
| History of campaign finance reform |
| State by state comparison of campaign finance reporting requirements |
| Election policy |
| State information |
Campaign finance requirements govern how much money candidates and campaigns may receive from individuals and organizations, how they must report those contributions, and how much individuals, organizations, and political parties may contribute to campaigns. In addition to direct campaign contributions, campaign finance laws also apply to third-party organizations and nonprofit organizations that seek to influence elections through independent expenditures or issue advocacy.
This page provides background on campaign finance regulation, lists contribution limits to state candidates and ballot measures in Connecticut, compares contribution limits to gubernatorial and state legislative candidates in Connecticut with those from other states, and details the candidate reporting requirements in Connecticut.
The information on this page pertains to candidates for state office and state ballot measures. Candidates for federal office are subject to federal campaign finance law. Candidates for local office are subject to all applicable state laws as well as any separate local campaign finance regulations.[1]
Background
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the independent regulatory agency that administers and enforces federal campaign election laws. The FEC is responsible for disclosing campaign finance information, enforcing limits and prohibitions on contributions and overseeing public funding of presidential elections.[2] According to the FEC, an individual becomes a federal candidate and must begin reporting campaign finances once he or she has either raised or spent $5,000 in his or her campaign. Within fifteen days of this benchmark, the candidate must register with the FEC and designate an official campaign committee, which is responsible for the funds and expenditures of the campaign. This committee must have an official treasurer and cannot support any candidate but the one who registered it. Detailed financial reports are then made to the FEC every financial quarter after the individual is registered. Reports are also made before primaries and before the general election.[3]
The Supreme Court of the United States has issued a number of rulings pertaining to federal election campaign finance regulations. In the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, the court held that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited. The Court's decision also overturned the ban on for-profit and not-for-profit corporations and unions broadcasting “electioneering communications” in the 30 days before a presidential primary and in the 60 days before the general elections.[4] In the SpeechNOW.org v. Federal Election Commission decision, the first application of the Citizens United decision, the court held that contribution limits on what individuals could give to independent expenditure-only groups, and the amount these organizations could receive, were unconstitutional. Contribution limits on donations directly to candidates, however, remained unchanged.[5][6] In 2014's McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission decision, the court overturned biennial aggregate campaign contribution limits, and held that individuals may contribute to as many federal candidates as they want, but may only contribute up to the federal limit in each case.[7]
While the FEC governs federal election campaigns and contribution limits, individual states require their own level of regulation and reporting. The amount of regulation required differs by state, as do the limits on campaign contributions and third-party activities to influence elections. Candidates for local office must follow any applicable state and local campaign finance regulations.
Contribution limits
The table below details contribution limits as they applied to various types of individuals and groups in Connecticut as of July 2025. The uppermost row of the table indicates the contributor, while the leftmost column indicates the recipient.[8]
| Individuals | Political committee (PAC) | Legislative leadership or caucus committee | Political party | Super PACs | Corporations | Unions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | $3,500 | $5,000 | $0 | $50,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Statewide candidate | $2,000 | $3,000 | $0 | $35,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Senate | $1,000 | $1,500 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| House | $250 | $750 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Political committee (two or more individuals, business entity) | $1000 per year | $2,000 per year | $0 | $2,500 per year | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Political committee (organization) | $750 per year | $2,000 per year | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Party committee (state central) | $15,000 per year | $7,500 per year | $10,000 per year | Unlimited | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Legislative leadership or caucus committee | $2000 per year | $2,000 per year | $0 | $10,000 per year | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Ballot measures | Unlimited | Unlimited | $0 | Unlimited | $0 | $0.10 per resident | $0.10 per resident | |
| Limits apply per election unless otherwise noted. | ||||||||
| Candidates who participate in Connecticut's Citizens' Election Program may only receive contributions of up to $250 per election from individuals and may not receive contributions from the other sources. | ||||||||
| Source: State Election Enforcement Commission, "Contribution Limits and Acceptance," accessed July 9, 2025 | ||||||||
State comparisons in the 2024 elections
Candidate reporting requirements
See statutes: Chapter 155 of the Connecticut Statutes
The campaign finance reporting process for candidates seeking state office in Connecticut is outlined below. Candidates seeking federal office must file with the Federal Election Commission. Reporting details for federal candidates are not included in this section.
Reporting requirements
All campaign finance reporting documents are filed with the State Elections Enforcement Commission. All reporting documents can be filed online through eCRIS, Connecticut's Campaign Reporting Information System, which can be accessed here.
Candidate committees
A candidate is defined as any individual who is seeking election to public office. This includes any individual who has been endorsed by a party or become eligible for a position on the ballot at an election or primary, solicited or received contributions, other than for a party committee, made expenditures, or given consent to any other person, other than a party committee, to solicit or receive contributions or make expenditures with the intent of bringing about their nomination. [10]
Within 10 days of becoming a candidate, the candidate must file a Committee Statement to form a candidate committee and designate a campaign treasurer. The candidate must also select a depository institution for the candidate committee's funds. The Committee Statement must be signed by both the campaign treasurer (as well as the deputy treasurer if one is appointed) so as to accept the designations of their roles. A candidate is exempt from the requirement to form a candidate committee if:[11]
- The candidate is one of a slate of candidates whose campaign is funded solely by a party committee or political committee formed for a single election, and expenditures made on behalf of the candidate are reported by that committee.
- The candidate finances his or her campaign solely from personal funds and does not solicit or accept contributions. In this case, if the candidate uses more than $1,000 of personal funds for campaign purposes, the candidate will have to file the same financial reports as a campaign treasurer would.
- The candidate does not receive or spend more than $1,000 for the campaign.
- The candidate does not receive or expend any funds, including personal funds, for the candidate's campaign.
A candidate required to form a candidate committee must also decide whether or not he or she will participate in the Citizens' Election Program and file either an Affidavit of Intent to Abide by Expenditure Limits and Other Program Requirements (Form CEP 10) or an Affidavit of Intent Not to Abide by Expenditure Limits (Form CEP 11).[12]
Campaign treasurers
A campaign treasurer must be an elector in the state of Connecticut. If an individual named as campaign treasurer for a candidate committee has previously had civil penalties or forfeitures assessed against him or her, the individual must pay those penalties. In addition, if the individual has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any felony involving fraud, forgery, larceny, embezzlement or bribery, or any criminal offense under the state election or campaign finance laws, eight years must pass since the conviction or completion of a sentence, whichever is later, before that individual may act as campaign treasurer.[13]
The campaign treasurer is responsible for all campaign finances for the candidate committee. No financial obligation can be incurred by the committee without authorization of the campaign treasurer. Within 20 days of receiving a contribution for the candidate committee, the treasurer is required to deposit the contribution in the depository institution named on the Committee Statement.[13][14]
Reporting
All campaign reports must include the following:[15]
- an itemized accounting of each contribution, if any, including the full name and complete address of each contributor and the amount of the contribution
- an itemized accounting of each expenditure, if any, including the full name and complete address of each payee
- an itemized accounting of each expense incurred but not paid
- the name and address of any person who is the guarantor of a loan to, or the cosigner of a note with, the candidate on whose behalf the committee was formed
- for each business entity or person purchasing advertising space in a program for a fund-raising affair or on signs at a fund-raising affair, the name and address of the business entity or the name and address of the person, and the amount and aggregate amounts of such purchases
- for each individual who contributes in excess of $100 but not more than one thousand dollars, in the aggregate, to the extent known, the principal occupation of such individual and the name of the individual's employer, if any
- for each individual who contributes in excess of $1,00 in the aggregate, the principal occupation of such individual and the name of the individual's employer, if any
- for each itemized contribution made by a lobbyist, the spouse of a lobbyist or any dependent child of a lobbyist who resides in the lobbyist's household, a statement to that effect
Reports must cover the time period starting with the first day not covered in a previous report through the last day of the month prior to the month during which the next report is due. In the case of reports required by the seventh day preceding an election, the reports must cover the time up until seven days immediately preceding the deadline to file. Reports are filed:[15]
- January 10, April 10, July 10, and October 10, unless those days fall on weekends or holidays; in that case, reports are due on the next business day
- the seventh day before an election in which the candidate is running
- 30 days after a primary election, if the candidate ran in the primary, and 45 days after the general election
Candidate committees are not required to file reports until the committee receives or spends more than $1,000 for the campaign.[15]
After the election
If a candidate committee shows no surplus or deficit on the last required report, that will be the last report required from the campaign treasurer.[15]
If a campaign committee has surplus funds after an election, these funds must be expended within 90 days of the candidate's defeat in the primary or by January 31 of the next year after the general election. Funds can be expended in the following ways:[15]
- If the candidate did not participate in the Citizens' Election Program, surplus funds may be donated to the Citizens' Election Fund or to a tax exempt charitable organization.
- If the candidate did participate in the Citizens' Election Program, surplus funds must be returned to the Citizens' Election Fund.
- If the candidate was successfully elected to public office, the surplus funds can be used to pay for the cost of clerical, secretarial or other office expenses incurred by the candidate in preparation for taking office.
Within seven days of expending the surplus funds, the campaign treasurer must file a supplemental statement detailing any contributions received since the last report and explaining how all surplus funds were distributed.[15]
If a deficit remains after the election, the campaign treasurer must file a supplemental statement within 90 days after the candidate's defeat in a primary election or by February 7 (or the next business day, if that date falls on a weekend) after a general election detailing the deficit. On the seventh day of each month following, a statement must be filed if the deficit increased or decreased by $500 during the month previous. The campaign treasurer must continue to file these statements until the deficit is eliminated.[15]
Campaign finance legislation
The table below displays bills related to campaign finance introduced during or carried over to Connecticut's current legislative session.[16]
Election and campaign ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked 11 statewide ballot measures relating to elections and campaigns.
- Connecticut Admission of Electors, Question 1 (1980)
- Connecticut Age of Eligibility for State Office, Question 3 (1980)
- Connecticut Qualification of Electors, Question 1 (1976)
- Connecticut Forfeiture of Electoral Privileges Upon Conviction, Question 3 (1974)
- Connecticut Justices of the Peace, Question 4 (1974)
- Connecticut Residence Requirement of Electors, Question 2 (1964)
- Connecticut Admission of Electors, Question 2 (1962)
- Connecticut Election Procedure for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Question 3 (1962)
- Connecticut Elector Residence Privileges, Question 4 (1962)
- Connecticut Election Procedure for State Executive Officials, Question 2 (1948)
- Connecticut Qualifications of Electors, Question 2 (1932)
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Alaska can contact the following state, and federal agencies.
Alaska Division of Elections
- Physical Address: Court Plaza Building
- 240 Main Street, 4th Floor
- Juneau, AK 99801
- Mailing Address: PO Box 110017
- Juneau, AK 99811-0017
- Phone: 907-465-4611
- Toll free: 866-952-8683
- Website: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/
U.S. Election Assistance Commission
- 633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200
- Washington, DC 20001
- Phone: 301-563-3919
- Toll free: 1-866-747-1471
- Email: clearinghouse@eac.gov
- Website: https://www.eac.gov
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
- 1050 First Street, NE
- Washington, DC 20463
- Telephone: (202)-694-1100
- Toll-free: 1-800-424-9530
- Email: info@fec.gov
- Website: http://www.fec.gov/
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Connecticut campaign finance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Campaign finance regulation
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Connecticut
- Connecticut
Footnotes
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Campaign Finance Enforcement," accessed May 28, 2025
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "About the FEC," accessed June 27, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate Registration Brochure," accessed December 7, 2012
- ↑ New York Times, "Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit," January 21, 2010
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Speechnow.org v. FEC," April 7, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Two Federal Court Rulings Could Change Campaign Finance Landscape," March 26, 2010
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Ongoing Litigation," accessed March 18, 2015
- ↑ Vox, "Super PACs can spend unlimited amounts on elections, but must disclose their donors," accessed May 21, 2015
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Limits on Contributions to Candidates 2023-2024 Election Cycle," accessed May 8, 2025
- ↑ Connecticut Statutes, "Chapter 155, Section 9-601," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ Connecticut Statutes, "Chapter 155, Section 9-604," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ State of Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission, "Welcome to the Citizens' Election Program," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Connecticut Statutes, "Chapter 155, Section 9-606," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ Connecticut Statutes, "Chapter 155, Section 9-607," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 Connecticut Statutes, "Chapter 155, Section 9-608," accessed July 11, 2025
- ↑ Bills are organized by most recent action. Clicking on a bill will open its page on Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker, which includes bill details and a summary.
