Campaign finance requirements in Idaho
 in Idaho |
 |
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 Idaho, compares contribution limits to gubernatorial and state legislative candidates in Idaho with those from other states, and details the candidate reporting requirements in Idaho.
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 rules governing federal election campaigns and contributions have evolved over the past generation as result of a number of Supreme Court decisions. 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 a general election.[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 Idaho as of July 2025. The uppermost row of the table indicates the contributor, while the leftmost column indicates the recipient.[8]
| Individuals | PACs | Political party | Super PACs | Corporations | Unions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide Candidate (incl. Governor) | $5,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $5,000 | $5,000 | |||
| Senate | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $1,000 | |||
| Assembly | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 | $0 | $1,000 | $1,000 | |||
| PAC | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | $0 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |||
| Party committees | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | $0 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |||
| Ballot measures | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | $0 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |||
| Limits apply per election. | |||||||||
| Source: Idaho Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance FAQ," accessed July 14, 2025 | |||||||||
State comparisons in the 2024 elections
Candidate reporting requirements
See statutes: Chapter 66 of the Idaho Code
An individual becomes a candidate when he or she receives contributions or makes expenditures, reserves space or facilities with the intent to promote his or her candidacy for office, announces publicly his or her intent to run for office, or files for office.[10]
The candidate is required to file an Appointment of a Political Treasurer form with the Idaho Secretary of State prior to becoming a candidate, accepting donations, or spending money on a campaign.[10]
The political treasurer for each candidate must file with the Idaho Secretary of State a series of reports throughout the election period. These financial statements must record all contributions received and all expenditures or encumbrances made by or on behalf of the candidate or candidate's committee. The first report filed must cover the period beginning with the first contribution, expenditure, or encumbrance.[11]
- Each contribution must be designated to identify whether the contribution is to be used toward the upcoming primary or general election for the determination of contribution limits.[10]
- An expenditure includes any payment, contribution, subscription, distribution, loan, advance, deposit, or gift of money or anything of value, and includes a contract, promise, or agreement, whether or not legally enforceable, to make an expenditure. It also includes a promise to pay, a payment, or a transfer of anything of value in exchange for goods, services, property, facilities or anything of value for the purpose of assisting, benefiting or honoring any candidate, or assisting in furthering or opposing any election campaign.[12]
The candidate must file a Campaign Financial Disclosure Report forms according to the established reporting schedule. The office of the Idaho Secretary of State must inspect each statement and notify the candidate if the statement does not conform to the statutory requirements.[11][13]
Duties of the political treasurer
The candidate's political treasurer must do the following:[10]
- Keep detailed accounts, current within not more than seven days after the date of receiving a contribution or making an expenditure.
- Keep a detailed record of accounts for at least one year after the date of the election or filing of the last Campaign Financial Disclosure Report, whichever is later.
- File the required Campaign Financial Disclosure Reports on time while reporting all required information.
- Obtain the full name and complete address of any individual or organization which has made a contribution.
- Only those individuals or organizations contributing more than $50 during a calendar year must be itemized on the Campaign Financial Disclosure Report.
- Transmit any anonymous contribution of more than $50 to the state controller for deposit in the public school fund.
- Obtain a receipt, canceled check or an accurate copy thereof for an expenditure of $25 or more.
- Clearly indicate on all public political advertising the person responsible for such communications.
Campaign finance legislation
The table below displays bills related to campaign finance introduced during or carried over to Idaho's current legislative session.[14]
Election and campaign ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked 8 statewide ballot measures relating to elections and campaigns.
- Idaho Ballot Access Restrictions, HB 644 (1998)
- Idaho Municipal Officer Election Removal, HJR 10 (1896)
- Idaho Remove Disqualification of County Assessors, SJR 6(b) (1910)
- Idaho Remove Disqualification of Sheriffs, SJR 6(c) (1910)
- Idaho Increase Supreme Court Membership, HJR 6 (1920)
- Idaho Election of County Officers, SJR 5 (1948)
- Idaho Voting Residence Requirement, SJR 6 (1962)
- Idaho Proposition 1, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (2024)
Contact information
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Idaho can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Idaho County Clerks
Idaho Secretary of State, Elections Division
- Physical Address: 700 West Jefferson St, Room E205
- Boise, Idaho 83702
- Mailing address: PO Box 83720
- Boise, Idaho 83720-0080
- Phone: 208-334-2852
- Email: elections@sos.idaho.gov
- Website: https://sos.idaho.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 Idaho campaign finance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
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
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Idaho Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance FAQ," accessed July 15, 2025
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Idaho Statutes, "Section 67-6607," accessed July 15, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Statutes, "Section 67-6602(8)," accessed July 15, 2025
- ↑ Idaho Statutes, "Section 67-6615," accessed July 15, 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.
