Political Committees

What is a Political Committee?

Any person, other than a natural person, or any group of two or more persons, including natural persons that support or oppose the nomination or election of one or more candidates as its major purpose.

Do we have to register our Political Committee with your office?

Yes.  Before an entity or a group of people spends $200 or more engaging in political activity that expressly advocates the nomination, election, or defeat of a candidate, they must register a political committee with the appropriate office.

Committees advocating for or against candidates register our office, with the exception of those related exclusively to municipal elections.

How do I register a Political Committee with your office?

You must register a committee online.   

Before registering, make sure that you have:

  • A committee name and any acronyms that you will use.
  • A registered agent.
  • The registered agent's email address and phone number.
  • Physical and mailing addresses for the committee's principal place of business.
  • A description of your committee's purpose.  This information should be detailed, including candidates, ballot measure numbers, or policy positions that you will support or oppose.
  • Financial information, including the name of the bank where the committee has or will have an account.

To register:

  1. Go to the TRACER campaign finance disclosure website.
  2. Click on the "Committee Registration" button.
  3. Select "Political Committee", then click on "Next".
  4. Fill out the form.  When you are finished, click on "Submit".
  5. Print a copy of the form for your records.
  6. Click on "Finished" to complete your registration.
  7. Login information will be sent to the registered agent's email address.

If you need help using TRACER, see Learn to Use TRACER.