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Virginia > Title 24.2 Elections > Campaign Finance Disclosure Act Of 2006 Article 3. Candidates and Their Campaign Committees

§ 24.2-948.1 Exemption from reporting requirements for certain candidates for local office

Overview of Statute

This section grants an exemption from reporting requirements for certain candidates for local office. The candidate must request exemption, and qualifications are listed in this section.

Statute

A. This section shall apply to candidates for local office and for director of soil and water conservation districts. A candidate for local office or for director of a soil and water conservation district may seek an exemption from the requirements for filing campaign finance disclosure reports set out in this chapter except for the filing requirements of §§ 24.2-945.224.2-947.124.2-947.9, and 24.2-948.4 pertaining to certain independent expenditures, the statement of organization, large contributions, and the filing of a final report. The request for an exemption shall be filed with the general registrar of the county or city where the candidate resides on a form prescribed by the State Board and in accordance with instructions by the State Board for the time for filing and the process for approval by the general registrar.

B. To qualify for an exemption, the candidate shall certify on the form that (i) he has not and will not solicit or accept any contribution from any other person or political committee during the course of his campaign, (ii) he has not and will not contribute to his own campaign more than $1,000, (iii) he has not and will not expend more than $1,000 in the course of his campaign, and (iv) that he has complied and will comply with the requirements of this chapter. This certification shall apply for the duration of the campaign until the filing of a final report in compliance with § 24.2-948.4 after the election. A candidate may rescind his certification and exemption at any time during the campaign and shall file in accordance with the appropriate filing schedule thereafter, provided that the candidate rescinds his certification prior to engaging in the activities described in clauses (i), (ii), and (iii) of this subsection. The first report filed shall account for all prior contributions and expenditures pertaining to his campaign.

C. Any candidate who has qualified for an exemption from reporting requirements pursuant to this section shall not be permitted to qualify for any office, enter upon the duties thereof, or receive any salary or emoluments therefrom until a final report has been filed that details all financial activity of the candidate’s campaign and states that all reporting for the nomination and election is complete and final. No officer authorized by the laws of the Commonwealth to issue certificates of election shall issue one to any person determined to be elected to any such office, until copies of the final report cited above have been filed as required in this chapter.

D. A candidate who has a current exemption under the provisions of this section, or who is otherwise exempt from reporting contributions and expenditures under this chapter, may purchase voter lists from the State Board under the provisions of §§ 24.2-405 and 24.2-406 with a check drawn on the candidate’s personal account.

2001, c. 794, § 24.2-906.1; 2005, c. 384; 2006, cc. 787892; 2010, c. 696; 2015, cc. 644645; 2020, c. 772.

Definition [State Board]

The State Board of Elections.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Expenditure]

Money and services of any amount, and any other thing of value, paid, loaned, provided, or in any other way disbursed by any candidate, campaign committee, political committee, or person for the purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or by any inaugural committee for the purpose of defraying the costs of the inauguration of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Definition [Contribution]

Money and services of any amount, in-kind contributions, and any other thing of value, given, advanced, loaned, or in any other way provided to a candidate, campaign committee, political committee, or person for the purpose of expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate or to an inaugural committee for the purpose of defraying the costs of the inauguration of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Attorney General. “Contribution” includes money, services, or things of value in any way provided by a candidate to his own campaign and the payment by the candidate of a filing fee for any party nomination method.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Definition [Authorized by]

Express approval or express consent by the candidate, the candidate’s campaign committee, or an agent of the candidate or his campaign committee after coordination.

See § 24.2-955.1.

Definition [General Registrar]

The person appointed by the electoral board of a county or city pursuant to § 24.2-110 to be responsible for all aspects of voter registration, in addition to other duties prescribed by this title. When performing duties related to the administration of elections, the general registrar is acting in his capacity as the director of elections for the locality in which he serves.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Political committee]

Any political action committee, political party committee, referendum committee, or inaugural committee. The term shall not include: (i) a federal political action committee or out-of-state political committee; (ii) a campaign committee; (iii) a political party committee exempted pursuant to § 24.2-950.1; or (iv) a person who receives no contributions from any source and whose only expenditures are made solely from his own funds and are either contributions made by him which are reportable by the recipient pursuant to this chapter or independent expenditures which are reportable by him to the extent required by § 24.2-945.2, or a combination of such reportable contributions and independent expenditures.

For the purpose of applying the filing and reporting requirements of this chapter, the term “political committee” shall not include an organization holding tax-exempt status under § 501(c) (3), 501(c) (4), or 501(c) (6) of the United States Internal Revenue Code which, in providing information to voters, does not advocate or endorse the election or defeat of a particular candidate, group of candidates, or the candidates of a particular political party.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Definition [Independent expenditure]

An expenditure made by any person, candidate campaign committee, or political committee that is not made to, controlled by, coordinated with, or made with the authorization of a candidate, his campaign committee, or an agent of the candidate or his campaign committee. “Independent expenditure” includes an expenditure made by a candidate campaign committee (i) that is not related to the candidate’s own campaign and (ii) that is not made to, controlled by, coordinated with, or made with the authorization of a different candidate, his campaign committee, or an agent of that candidate or his campaign committee.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Definition [Board]

The State Board of Elections.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [State]

A state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.

See § 24.2-452.

Definition [Person]

Any individual or corporation, partnership, business, labor organization, membership organization, association, cooperative, or other like entity.

For the purpose of applying the filing and reporting requirements of this chapter, the term “person” shall not include an organization holding tax-exempt status under § 501(c) (3), 501(c) (4), or 501(c) (6) of the United States Internal Revenue Code which, in providing information to voters, does not advocate or endorse the election or defeat of a particular candidate, group of candidates, or the candidates of a particular political party.

See § 24.2-945.1.

Definition [Election]

A general, primary, or special election.

See § 24.2-101.

Definition [Candidate]

A person who seeks or campaigns for an office of the Commonwealth or one of its governmental units in a general, primary, or special election and who is qualified to have his name placed on the ballot for the office. “Candidate” shall include a person who seeks the nomination of a political party or who, by reason of receiving the nomination of a political party for election to an office, is referred to as its nominee. For the purposes of Chapters 8 (§ 24.2-800 et seq.), 9.3 (§ 24.2-945 et seq.), and 9.5 (§ 24.2-955 et seq.), “candidate” shall include any write-in candidate. However, no write-in candidate who has received less than 15 percent of the votes cast for the office shall be eligible to initiate an election contest pursuant to Article 2 (§ 24.2-803 et seq.) of Chapter 8. For the purposes of Chapters 9.3 (§ 24.2-945 et seq.) and 9.5 (§ 24.2-955 et seq.), “candidate” shall include any person who raises or spends funds in order to seek or campaign for an office of the Commonwealth, excluding federal offices, or one of its governmental units in a party nomination process or general, primary, or special election; and such person shall be considered a candidate until a final report is filed pursuant to Article 3 (§ 24.2-947 et seq.) of Chapter 9.3.

See § 24.2-101.