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Campaign finance requirements in Kansas
 in Kansas |
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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 Kansas, compares contribution limits to gubernatorial and state legislative candidates in Kansas with those from other states, and details the candidate reporting requirements in Kansas.
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 15 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. In Kansas, there are two primary agencies involved in campaign finance regulation: the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission and the Office of the Kansas Secretary of State. The former "is charged with administering, interpreting, and enforcing" the state's campaign finance laws; the latter receives the campaign finance disclosure reports filed by candidates and political committees.[8][9]
Contribution limits
The table below details contribution limits as they applied to various types of individuals and groups in Kansas as of July 2025. The uppermost row of the table indicates the contributor, while the leftmost column indicates the recipient.[10]
| Individuals | PACs | Political party | Super PACs | Corporations | Unions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide Candidate (incl. Governor) | $4,000 | $4,000 | $4,000 in contested primary, unlimited in general | $0 | $4,000 | $4,000 | |||
| Senate | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 in contested primary, unlimited in general | $0 | $2,000 | $2,000 | |||
| House | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 in contested primary, unlimited in general | $0 | $1,000 | $1,000 | |||
| PAC | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | $0 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |||
| Party committees | $35,000 | $35,000 | Unlimited* | $0 | $35,000 | $35,000 | |||
| Ballot measures | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | $0 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |||
| Limits apply per election. | |||||||||
| *National party committees can only give $35,000 per election to state party committees. | |||||||||
| Source: Kansas Public Disclosure Commission, "Contribution Limits," accessed July 20, 2025 | |||||||||
State comparisons in the 2024 elections
Candidate reporting requirements
See statutes: Kansas Statutes, Chapter 25, Article 41
Organizational requirements
Each candidate is required by law to appoint a treasurer or candidate committee within 10 days of becoming a candidate. Upon doing so, the candidate must file an Appointment of Treasurer or Candidate Committee form within 10 days. A candidate for state office (including the state legislature) must file this form with the Kansas Secretary of State. Contributions cannot be received and expenditures cannot be made until this form is filed.[12]
The treasurer's duties include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:[12]
- receiving and recording all contributions, including the full name and residential address of the contributor, as well as the date of receipt, description or other receipt, and the amount of the contribution
- depositing all receipts into and making all disbursements by check from the campaign checking account
- keeping copies of all contributors' checks in excess of $50
- keeping written receipts for cash and in-kind contributions of $10 or greater
- obtaining the occupation and industry in which the individual works, and recording the occupation and industry of each contributor for any contribution over $150
- keeping a list of all individuals authorized to solicit or receive contributions on behalf of the candidate or committee
- retaining all bank statements, canceled checks, voided checks, and canceled deposit slips
- documenting each expenditure, including the full name and address of the payee, as well as the date, purpose, and amount of the expenditure
The candidate may serve as his or her own treasurer.[12]
A candidate must open a checking account in a financial institution into which all contributions will be deposited and from which all expenditures will be made. If a candidate intends to make all expenditures from personal funds and not accept outside contributions, this requirement may be waived.[12]
Within 10 days after the candidate filing deadline, the candidate is required to submit a Statement of Substantial Interests. [12]
A candidate who intends to receive less than $1,000 in contributions or make less than $1,000 in expenditures may, at his or her discretion, file an Affidavit of Exemption from Filing Receipts and Expenditures Reports by a Candidate for State or Local Office. A candidate who opts not to file reports must still keep records of all contributions and expenditures.[12]
Each candidate for state-level and local office must pay a registration fee to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. For candidates for statewide office, the fee is $650. For candidates for state legislative office, the fee is $50.[12]
Reporting requirements
A candidate and/or his or her committee is required to file regular campaign finance reports. All such reports must include the following types of information:[12]
- Contributions and other receipts
- The report must include the date the contribution was received, the name and address of the contributor, and the amount received from each contributor whose contribution exceeds $50 in the aggregate for any reporting period; if the contribution is greater than $150, the occupation and industry of the contributor must also be noted. If the receipt is a loan, the full name and address of the lender and each guarantor and endorser must be given.
- The report must include the full amount of any contribution received via credit card from online payment processing vendors such as PayPal. The fee charged by the payment processing company is reported as an expenditure.
- The report must include the sum of all monetary contributions from contributors who gave $50 or less.
- The report must note gross amount of total sales of political materials, such as campaign buttons, hats, banners, etc.
- The report must include the sum of legal contributions from anonymous donors (anonymous contributions of $10 or less are permitted).
- In-kind contributions
- The report must include the date the contribution was received, the name and address of the in-kind contributor, a description of the contribution, and the amount received from each contributor whose in-kind contribution exceeds $100 in the aggregate for any reporting period (if the in-kind contribution is greater than $150, the occupation and industry of the contributor must also be noted, or if the individual contributor is not employed, the occupation of the contributor’s spouse is to be reported).
- Expenditures and other disbursements
- The report must include the date the expenditure was paid, the name and address of the payee, the purpose, and the amount of each expenditure greater than $50.
- The report must note the sum of all other expenditures of $50 or less.
- Other transactions
- The report must note loans and other debts owed by the candidate or committee, including the date the loan or debt was incurred, the name and address of the person to whom the debt is owed, the amount, and the purpose. In the case of a loan, each guarantor and endorser must be listed.
- The report must include loans and other debts owed to the candidate or committee, including the date incurred, the name and address of the payee, and the amount.
A candidate for state-level office may file reports online through the E-Campaign Finance system. A candidate for statewide office is required to file campaign finance reports electronically.[13]
The election year reporting schedule is established by statute and is summarized in the table below.[14]
| Report type | Reporting period | Deadline to file |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-primary report | January 1 - 12 days prior to the primary | 8th day prior to the primary |
| Pre-general report | 11 days prior to the primary - 12 days prior to the general election | 8th day prior to the general election |
| Post-general report | 11 days prior to the general election - December 31 | January 10 of the year following the election |
In addition to these regular reports, special reports must be filed when a candidate receives a contribution of $300 or greater after the filing of the pre-primary or pre-general election report. Such reports must be filed before the primary and/or general election to disclose the contribution.[12]
Campaign finance legislation
The table below displays bills related to campaign finance introduced during or carried over to Kansas' current legislative session.[15]
Election and campaign ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked 3 statewide ballot measures relating to elections and campaigns.
- Kansas Voting Disqualification Amendment, Constitutional Amendment Question 2 (2010)
- Kansas Elections, Amendment 2 (1974)
- Kansas Constitutional Amendment 2, County Sheriff Election and Recall Amendment (2022)
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Kansas can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Kansas County Election Officers
Secretary of State Office, Elections Division
- Memorial Hall, 1st Floor
- 120 SW 10th Avenue
- Topeka, KS 66612-1594
- Phone: 785-296-4564
- Toll free: 1-800-262-8683
- Email: election@sos.ks.gov
- Website: http://www.kssos.org/
Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission
- 901 S. Kansas Avenue
- Topeka, Kansas 66612
- Phone: 785-296-4219
- Fax: 785-296-2548
- Email: KGEC_Ethics@ks.gov
- Website: https://ethics.kansas.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 Kansas campaign finance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Campaign finance regulation
- Campaign finance agencies in Kansas
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Kansas
- Kansas
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
- ↑ Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, "Home page," accessed July 27, 2015
- ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance," accessed July 27, 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
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 Kansas Public Disclosure Commission, "Campaign Finance Handbook for Candidates and Treasurers 2024," accessed July 20, 2025
- ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance & Ethics Filings," accessed July 21, 2025
- ↑ Justia "Kansas Statutes Chapter 25, Article 41, Section 48," accessed July 21, 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.
