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Campaign finance requirements in Washington
 in Washington |
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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 Washington, compares contribution limits to gubernatorial and state legislative candidates in Washington with those from other states, and details the candidate reporting requirements in Washington.
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 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 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 Washington as of August 2025. The uppermost row of the table indicates the contributor, while the leftmost column indicates the recipient.
| Individuals | PACs | Political party | Super PACs | Corporations | Unions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide candidate (incl. governor) | $2,400 | $2,400 | $1.20 per reg. voter per cycle | $0 | $2,400 | $2,400 | |||
| Senate | $1,200 | $1,200 | $1.20 per reg. voter per district per cycle | $0 | $1,200 | $1,200 | |||
| House | $1,200 | $1,200 | $1.20 per reg. voter per district per cycle | $0 | $1,200 | $1,200 | |||
| PAC | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | $0 | unlimited | unlimited | |||
| Party committees | unlimited | $6,000 | unlimited | $0 | $6,000 | $6,000 | |||
| Ballot measures | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | $0 | unlimited | unlimited | |||
| Limits apply per election. | |||||||||
| Sources: Washington State Public Disclosure Commission, "New contribution limits and reporting thresholds take effect April 1, 2023," December 13, 2023 | |||||||||
State comparisons in the 2024 elections
Candidate reporting requirements
See statutes: Chapter 42.17A of the Washington Election Code (Campaign Disclosure and Contribution)
In Washington, a person becomes a candidate when he or she raises or spends money, reserves space, buys advertising, authorizes someone else to take one of these actions, makes a public announcement, or files a declaration of candidacy form.[9]
Every candidate's committee must file a statement of organization with the Washington Public Disclosure Commission. The statement must be filed within two weeks after organization or within two weeks after the date the committee first has the expectation of receiving contributions or making expenditures in any election campaign, whichever is earlier.[10]
A political committee organized within the last three weeks before an election and having the expectation of receiving contributions or making expenditures during and for that election campaign must file a statement of organization within three business days after its organization or when it first has the expectation of receiving contributions or making expenditures in the election campaign.[10]
Statement of Organization
The statement of organization must include the following:[10]
- the name, address, and electronic contact information of the committee;
- the names, addresses, and electronic contact information of all related or affiliated committees or other persons, and the nature of the relationship or affiliation;
- the names, addresses, and titles of its officers; or if it has no officers, the names, addresses, and titles of its responsible leaders;
- the name, address, and electronic contact information of its treasurer and depository;
- a statement indicating whether the committee is a continuing one;
- the name, office sought, and party affiliation of each candidate whom the committee is supporting or opposing, and, if the committee is supporting the entire ticket of any party, the name of the party;
- the ballot proposition concerned, if any, and whether the committee is in favor of or opposed to such proposition;
- what distribution of surplus funds will be made in the event of dissolution;
- such other information as the commission may by regulation prescribe;
- the name, address, and title of any person who authorizes expenditures or makes decisions on behalf of the candidate or committee; and
- the name, address, and title of any person who is paid by or is a volunteer for a candidate or political committee to perform ministerial functions and who performs ministerial functions on behalf of two or more candidates or committees.
Organization requirements
Each candidate, within two weeks after becoming a candidate, and each political committee, at the time it is required to file a statement of organization, must designate and file with the commission the name and address of one legally competent individual, who may be the candidate, to serve as a treasurer.[11]
Each candidate and each political committee must designate and file with the commission and the appropriate county elections officer the name and address of not more than one depository for each county in which the campaign is conducted in which the candidate's or political committee's accounts are maintained and the name of the account or accounts maintained in that depository on behalf of the candidate or political committee.[12]
Reporting requirements
Each candidate or political committee must file with the commission a report of all contributions received and expenditures made at various intervals throughout the election cycle. A candidate must submit the following forms throughout the election cycle:
- Form F-1 (Personal Financial Affairs Statement): This form is used to report the candidate's sources of income, real estate transactions, bank accounts, stocks, debts owed, business holdings, and business customers. It is due within two weeks of becoming a candidate.[13]
- Form C-1 (Candidate Registration): This form indicates office sought, reporting option, committee officers, treasurer's name, contact for public campaign records inspection, and bank used for campaign account. It is due within two weeks of becoming a candidate.[13]
- Form C-3 (Cash Receipts, Monetary Contributions): This form is used to report names of contributors, amounts, addresses, occupations, and employers. All monetary contributions must be deposited within five business days of receipt. A C-3 form must be filled out for each deposit. Prior to June 1 of the election year, C-3 is due monthly; after June 1, C-3 reports are due weekly on Monday.[14]
- Form C-4 (Receipts & Expenditures Summary): This form is used to report total contributions and expenditures for a defined period and the entire campaign. This form is due monthly from the beginning of the campaign through May of the election year. If a campaign has over $750 in contributions or expenditures during a month, a C-4 report is filed by the 10th of the following month. Starting in June of the election year and continuing through the primary and general elections, C-4 reports are due 21 and seven days before each election and on the 10th of the month after the month the election was held with the candidate’s name on the ballot, even if there was little or no activity to report.[15]
Campaign finance legislation
The table below displays bills related to campaign finance introduced during or carried over to Washington's current legislative session.[16]
Election and campaign ballot measures
Ballotpedia has tracked 25 statewide ballot measures relating to elections and campaigns.
- Washington Initiative 872, Top-Two Primaries Measure (2004)
- Washington HJR 4206, Office Vacancies Amendment (2003)
- Washington SJR 143, Voter Residency Requirement Amendment (1974)
- Washington Referendum 5, Party Conventions Measure (1916)
- Washington Referendum 15, Changes to Party Conventions and Nomination Measure (1922)
- Washington SJR 25, State Constitutional Amendment Publication Requirement Change Amendment (1962)
- Washington SJR 9, Voter Pamphlet Mailing Requirement Amendment (1962)
- Washington Referendum 39, Voter Registration by Mail Measure (1977)
- Washington SJR 138, Legislative and County Vacancies Amendment (1986)
- Washington Referendum 25, Electoral Campaign Financing Regulation Measure (1972)
- Washington HJR 4, Voter Qualifications for Presidential Elections Amendment (1966)
- Washington Initiative 394, Voter Approval for Energy Project Bonds Measure (1981)
- Washington Initiative 276, Regulations for Campaign Expenditures and Contributions Measure (1972)
- Washington Initiative 58, Permanent Registration of Voters Measure (1932)
- Washington Referendum 35, Senate Vacancy Appointments Measure (1975)
- Washington Referendum 32, Deputy Voting Registrar Appointments Measure (1973)
- Washington HJR 6, Voting Age of 19 Amendment (1970)
- Washington SJR 14, Filling State Legislature Vacancies Amendment (1956)
- Washington Voter Residency Requirement Amendment, SJR 8205 (2011)
- Washington SJR 6, Superior Court Judge Elections Amendment (1966)
- Washington HJR 22, Voter Approval of Excess School Tax Levies Amendment (1985)
- Washington Initiative 126, Non-Partisan Elections for School Superintendents Measure (1938)
- Washington Amendment to Article XI Sec. 5, Classification of Counties by Population for County Official Elections (1924)
- Washington Recall Elections Process Amendment (1912)
- Washington Gubernatorial Line of Succession and Special Election Amendment (1910)
Election administration agencies
Election agencies
- See also: State election agencies
Individuals seeking additional information about election administration in Washington can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.
Washington County Elections Departments
Washington Secretary of State, Elections Division
- Physical Address: 416 Sid Snyder Ave SW
- Olympia, WA 98501
- Mailing address: P.O. Box 40229
- Olympia, Washington 98504-0229
- Phone: 360-902-4180
- Toll free: 800-448-4881
- Fax: 360-664-4619
- Email: elections@sos.wa.gov
- Website: https://www.sos.wa.gov
Washington State Public Disclosure Commission
- Physical Address: 711 Capitol Way, Room 206
- Olympia, Washington 98504
- Mailing Address: P. O. Box 40908
- Olympia, Washington 98504-0908
- Phone: 360-753-1111
- Toll free: 877-601-2828
- Fax: 360-753-1112
- Email: https://wapdc.freshdesk.com/support/tickets/new
- Website: https://www.pdc.wa.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 Washington 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 Washington
- Washington
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
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "RCW 42.17A.005," accessed August 13, 2025
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Washington State Legislature, "RCW 42.17A.205," accessed August 13, 2025
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "RCW 42.17A.210," accessed August 13, 2025
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "RCW 42.17A.215," accessed August 13, 2025
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Washington Public Disclosure Commission, "Forms & Reports Directory," accessed August 14, 2025
- ↑ Washington Public Disclosure Commission, "Deposits and filing a contribution report (C-3)," accessed August 13, 2025
- ↑ Washington Public Disclosure Commission, "Registration & Reporting Basics," accessed August 14, 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.
