Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Campaign finance requirements in Oklahoma
 in Oklahoma |
 |
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 Oklahoma, compares contribution limits to gubernatorial and state legislative candidates in Oklahoma with those from other states, and details the candidate reporting requirements in Oklahoma.
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 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 enforce their own regulation and reporting requirements. Regulations vary by state, as do 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 Oklahoma as of September 2025. The uppermost row of the table indicates the contributor, while the leftmost column indicates the recipient.
| Individuals | Single candidates committees | Limited committee (PAC) | 1/25 Limited committee | Political party | Super PACs | Corporations | Unions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide candidate (e.g., governor) | $3,500 | $3,500 | $5,000 | $2,500 | $25,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Senate candidate | $3,500 | $3,500 | $5,000 | $2,500 | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| House candidate | $3,500 | $3,500 | $5,000 | $2,500 | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| PAC | $5,000 | $0 | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| 1/25 Limited Committee* | $5,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Party committees | $10,000 | surplus funds up to $25,000 | $10,000 | $5,000 | unlimited | $0 | $0 | $0 | |
| Ballot measures | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | $0 | unlimited | unlimited | |
| *A 1/25 limited committee is a committee that was registered less than a year before a primary election or that has fewer than 25 contributors. | |||||||||
| Limits apply per campaign to unopposed candidates, per election to opposed candidates, and per year to organizations. | |||||||||
| Sources: Oklahoma Ethics Commission, "2026 State Elections: Contribution Chart," accessed September 3, 2025; Oklahoma Ethics Commission, "Limited Committee Guide," accessed September 3, 2025 | |||||||||
State comparisons in the 2024 elections
Candidate reporting requirements
See statutes: Title 74, Appendix 1 of the Oklahoma Statutes
This section covers all campaign finance reporting requirements for candidates running for state office in Oklahoma. Candidates running for federal office must file with the Federal Election Commission.
Reporting requirements
Filing online
Every candidate in Oklahoma files campaign finance reports with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. A candidate who receives contributions in excess of $10,000 is required to file reports online, but the online system is open to every candidate.[9]
The online campaign reporting system can be accessed here. For help on how to use the online system, use the Campaign Reporting System Guide.
Statement of Organization
Before the candidate can start filing campaign finance reports, he or she must first file a Statement of Organization (Form SO-1) to form a candidate committee, which will be in charge of all contributions and expenditures for the campaign. The Statement of Organization must provide the name of the committee, which must include the name of the candidate and the year of the election in which the candidate will be running, as well as designate a committee chair and a treasurer. The candidate may hold both of those positions but may only designate one candidate committee per election cycle. The Statement of Organization must be filed within 10 days of the candidate filing a Declaration of Candidacy, or within 10 days of receiving or spending $500, whichever comes first.[10]
The candidate committee must then establish a campaign account for all campaign finance activity. The campaign account can be in more than one location, as long as each location is a financial institution that ordinarily conducts business with the state and has an office in the state that ordinarily conducts business with the general public, and as long as each depository contains the whole name of the candidate committee without acronyms as well as the candidate's name and the year of the election in which the candidate is running. All expenditures in excess of $50, not including those made by the candidate from personal funds, must be taken from the campaign account and issued on a check signed by the candidate, treasurer or chair of the candidate committee. All contributions received on behalf of the candidate committee must be handed over to the treasurer within five days after receipt of the contribution. Contributions must then be deposited into the campaign account by the treasurer no later that 10 days after the treasurer accepted the contribution.[11]
Statement of Financial Interests
The candidate is also required to file a Statement of Financial Interests (Form F-1R) to itemize his or her sources of income. The amount of income is not required. This form may be filed anytime between January 1 and the tenth day after a candidate files a Declaration of Candidacy. A candidate who is successfully elected to public office must file this form by May 15 of each year he or she holds that office.[9]
Contribution and Expenditure Reports
Each candidate committee must file Contribution and Expenditure Reports (C-1R Reports) showing all financial reporting activity for each established reporting period. However, if a candidate committee expects to receive or spend less than $500 in a calendar year, it may file an Affidavit of Minimal Activity with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission by April 30 of the election year. This allows the candidate committee to file only annual reports.[9][12]
Contribution and Expenditure Reports are filed quarterly. The non-election year reporting schedule is detailed in the table below.[12]
| Report due date | Covers contributions and expenditures as of |
|---|---|
| January 31 | December 31 |
| April 30 | March 31 |
| July 31 | June 30 |
| October 31 | September 30 |
The election year reporting schedule is detailed in the table below.
| Report due date | Time period covered |
|---|---|
| April 30 | January 1 through March 31 |
| 8 days before the primary election | April 1 through 15 days before the primary election |
| 8 days before the primary run-off election (if applicable) | 14 days before the primary election through 15 days before the primary run-off election |
| 8 days before the general election | 14 days before the primary or primary run-off election through 15 days before the general election |
| January 31 | 14 days before the general election through December 31 |
During an election year, Last Minute Contributions Reports (C-4R Reports) might also be required. These are necessary to report contributions of $500 or more from one source after the closing of a pre-election report but before the date of the next election and are due within 24 hours of receipt of the contribution.[9][13]
If no expenditures were made and no contributions were received during a reporting period, a candidate committee can file a Statement of Inactivity (Form C-3R) instead of the regularly scheduled report.[9]
If mailing or hand-delivering reports, they are considered timely only when received by 5 p.m. of the due date. If filing electronically or by fax, they are considered timely if received by midnight of the due date. If a report is not delivered in a timely fashion, late fees will be applied, from $100 to $1,000 per day.[9]
Reporting must continue until the campaign is concluded by filing a Final Report. This report may be filed at any time after a candidate's name appears on the ballot as long as the candidate committee can show a zero balance. If a candidate committee has surplus funds at the end of the campaign, there a number of ways the committee can disperse those funds. The committee can:[9]
- deposit the funds with the state treasurer for the General Revenue Fund
- return the funds to the contributors
- donate the funds to a charitable organization
- retain the funds for use in a future election within six years of the general election in which the candidate ran
- use the funds to perform official duties as a public officeholder
- use the funds for political or community activities
- transfer the funds to a political party
Contributor Statement
A contributor who gives more than $50 to a campaign must sign a Contributor Statement. This is due within 10 days of the candidate committee receiving the contribution and must provide the following information:[9][14]
- the date the contribution was given
- the amount of the contribution (if in-kind, a description and estimated value of the contribution must be provided)
- the name of the contributor
- the address of the contributor
- the occupation, employer or principal business activity of the contributor
- a declaration stating that the contribution is for a campaign in the state of Oklahoma and that it was freely and voluntarily given from the contributor's personal property
Campaign finance legislation
The table below displays bills related to campaign finance introduced during or carried over to Oklahoma's current legislative session.[15]
Election and campaign ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked 2 statewide ballot measures relating to elections and campaigns.
- Oklahoma State Question 78, State Election Board Initiative (1916)
- Oklahoma State Question 798, Governor and Lieutenant Governor Joint Ticket Amendment (2018)
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Oklahoma can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Oklahoma County Election Boards
Oklahoma State Election Board
- 2300 N Lincoln Blvd, Room G28
- State Capitol Building
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
- Phone: 405-521-2391
- Fax: 405-521-6457
- Email: info@elections.ok.gov
- Website: https://oklahoma.gov/elections.html
Oklahoma Ethics Commission
- 2300 N Lincoln Blvd, Room G27
- State Capitol Building
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73105
- Phone: 405-521-3451
- Fax: 405-521-4905
- Email: ethics@ethics.ok.gov
- Website: https://www.ok.gov/ethics/
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 Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma
- Oklahoma
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
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Limits on Contributions to Candidates 2023-2024 Election Cycle," accessed May 8, 2025
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 Oklahoma Ethics Commission, "State Candidate Guide," accessed September 3, 2025
- ↑ Oklahoma Statutes, "T. 74, Ch. 62, App., Rule 2.75," accessed September 3, 2025
- ↑ Oklahoma Statutes, "T. 74, Ch. 62, App., Rule 2.2," accessed September 3, 2025
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Oklahoma Statutes, "Title 74, Chapter 62: Campaign Reporting, Rule 257: 10-1-13," accessed September 3, 2025
- ↑ Oklahoma Statutes, "Title 74, Chapter 62: Campaign Reporting, Section 257: 10-1-15," accessed September 3, 2025
- ↑ Oklahoma Statutes, "Title 74, Chapter 62: Campaign Reporting, Section 257: 10-1-2," accessed September 3, 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.
