The Commission administers and enforces the provisions of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act. The ACT covers: candidates, candidate committees, public officials, non candidate committees, lobbyist and qualifying officers. The ACT does not cover: qualifying, requirements for being on a ballot, conflict of interest, ethical conduct or tax issues. We have provided agencies that may address these questions. Secretary of State Elections Division (SOS) www.sos.georgia.gov Internal Revenue Services (IRS) www.irs.gov Georgia Municipal Association (GMA) www.gmanet.com Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) www.accg.org For more information, visit our website at www.ethics.ga.gov To attend a FREE Education Outreach Program Training Workshop or Webinar, visit http://media.ethics.ga.gov/training/trainingSCH D.aspx Have additional questions? Contact us! GEORGIA GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY & CAMPAIGN FINANCE COMMISSION 200 Piedmont Ave Suite 1402-West Tower Atlanta GA 30334 404-463-1980 Phone 404-463-0229 Fax 1-866-589-7327 Toll Free GAEthics@ethics.ga.gov www.ethics.ga.gov Georgia Government Transparency & Campaign Finance Commission This brochure is intended only as a summary to aid in understanding the Act. For the law's complete requirements, consult the Act itself, codified at Title 21 Chapter 5 of the Official Code of Geor- gia Annotated. HOW DO I GET STARTED? 1. File a Declaration of Intention to Accept Contributions (Form DOI) Reference: O.C.G.A. 21-5-30 (g) Anyone who is not already a public officer and who plans to run for public office must file a Form DOI BEFORE accepting contributions. No such declaration is required of persons who are public officers and who plan to run for the same public office they currently hold. Statewide/State level filers must file an original Form DOI with the Commission by mail or hand delivery. Local Level filers are required to file their Form DOI with their local elections superintendent (county) or Municipal clerk (city). 2. File a PIN Application for eFiling CCDR & PFD (State/Statewide Filers ONLY) This form allows access to the Commission's online eFiling system for CCDRs and PFDs. Your original PIN application is filed with the Commission by mail or hand delivery. Faxed applications are not an acceptable method of filing and will not be processed. TELL ME MORE! Maximum Allowable Contribution Limits: No person, corporation, political committee, or political party shall make, and no candidate or campaign committee shall receive from any such entity, contributions to any candidate for state-wide elected office which in the aggregate for an election cycle exceed: Candidates for Statewide Offices (Statewide candidates include: Governor, Attorney General , Commissioner of Agriculture, Commissioner of Insurance, Commissioner of Labor, Lieutenant Governor, Public Service Commission, Secretary of State, State School Superintendent, Judges of Supreme Court and Judges of Court of Appeals.) Six thousand three hundred dollars ($6,300.00) for a primary election Three thousand seven hundred dollars ($3,700.00) for a primary run-off election Six thousand three hundred dollars ($6,300.00) for a general election Three thousand seven hundred dollars ($3,700.00) for a general run-off election Candidates for All Other Offices (All other candidates include: Senators, Representatives, Judges of Superior Court, District Attorneys, all other state offices and all County and Municipal Level Offices) Two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) for a primary election One thousand three hundred dollars ($1,300.00) for a primary run-off election Two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) for a general election One thousand three hundred dollars ($1,300.00) for a general run-off election Local Level filers are required to file their disclosure reports with their local elections superintendent (county) or Municipal clerk (city). 3. Registration Form for a Campaign Committee (Form RC) Reference: O.C.G.A. 21-5-3(2) and O.C.G.A. 21-5-30(b) This form is filed if you have anyone helping you with filing your reports or collecting your contributions or expending your contributions. The term "campaign committee" as it relates to the candidate means the candidate, person(s) or committee which accepts contributions or makes expenditures for the purpose of bringing about the nomination or election of an individual to any elected office. If a candidate has a campaign committee, the name and address of the committee, its chairperson, treasurer and the candidate must be registered with the Commission prior to accepting any contributions. No candidate may have more than one committee. No contributions may be accepted at any time there is a vacancy in either the position of chairperson or treasurer. One person may serve as both chairperson and treasurer. An original Form RC is filed with the Commission by mail, hand deliv- Campaign Record Keeping: Contributions of money received by the candidate or the candidate's campaign committee must be promptly deposited in a separate campaign depository account (separate from the personal banking account of the candidate) opened and maintained for this purpose. The account may be an interest bearing account and any interest earned will be deemed a contribution to the campaign committee; Interest earned is not payable to the candidate. The candidate or treasurer of each campaign committee must keep detailed accounts, current within not more than five (5) days after the receipt of a contribution or making of a expenditure. You are required to file reports if you File a DOI or qualify or you/your committee accepts contributions or you/your committee makes expenditures. Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report: Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report is a report filed with the commission by a candidate or the chairperson or treasurer of a campaign committee setting forth all expenditures and contributions. Itemize all contributions and expenditures more than $100.00; and aggregate totals of all contributions and expenditures $100.00 or less. Personal Financial Disclosure Statement: Every public officer and every candidate for election as a public officer must file a Personal Financial Disclosure Statement covering the period of the preceding calendar year. *Only one Personal Financial Disclosure Statement is required per calendar year. er or in the eFiling system. When a candidate is elected to office, the candidate's campaign committee registration will remain in effect as long as the candidate remains in office until and unless the registration is canceled by the campaign committee or the candidate. Any substantive changes to registration information of a committee must be updated with the Commission within 7 business days. 4. Choosing Option of Separate Accounting (Form COOSA) Reference: O.C.G.A. 21-5-43 (a) (2) A candidate who wishes to accept contributions for more than one election at a time shall separately account for such campaign contributions and shall file an "Option to Choose Separate Accounting" form with the Commission prior to accepting contributions for any election other than the candidate's next upcoming election. A candidate is only required to file one Form COOSA which shall be utilized for all subsequent elections to the same office, regardless of whether an election occurs in a new election cycle. Visit our website to find a complete list of Forms and Reports http://ethics.ga.gov/filer-information/forms/ WHEN DO I FILE REPORTS? ELECTION YEAR Campaign Contribution Disclosure Reports (5 day grace period) January 31 March 31 June 30 September 30 October 25 December 31 Personal Financial Disclosure Statement (NO grace period) Statewide Officers - No later than 7 days after you formally qualify. State & Local - No later than 15 days after you formally qualify. NON-ELECTION YEAR Campaign Contribution Disclosure Reports (5 day grace period) January 31 June 30 Personal Financial Disclosure Statement (NO grace period) Between January 1 and July 1 NOTE: If you file a DOI but do not qualify, lose, or withdraw . . . You still have reports to file.