For candidates and committees that register with OCPF
If you have a change in your committee's treasurer, you will need to download and complete one of these forms:
There is important information you need to know about a change in treasurer for your committee. Read more...
The office of Treasurer is vital to an organized political committee. Under the campaign finance law, no money or anything of value can be received and no expenditures or disbursements can be made by a political committee (or any person acting under the authority of or on behalf of a political committee) while it has no treasurer.
An appointed treasurer must be in place prior to the time a political committee files its Statement of Organization with OCPF since the treasurer's name and address must appear on the completed form.
A treasurer is appointed, or qualified, for his or her office by filing a written acceptance of the office with OCPF (or if organized for the purpose of a city or town election only, with the city or town clerk).
The treasurer remains subject to all the duties and liabilities imposed by the campaign finance law until his or her written resignation of the office is received or his successor's written acceptance is filed with OCPF (or the city or town clerk). The treasurer is primarily responsible for:
If a political committee needs to appoint a new treasurer, the former treasurer should submit a written letter of resignation to the political committee. The political committee should appoint a new treasurer who will complete and sign a CPF T 101: Change of Treasurer form. The political committee must submit the change of treasurer form and a copy of the former treasurer's resignation letter to OCPF (or the town or city clerk) within ten days following the change.
Care must be taken when selecting a new treasurer for the political committee. There are restrictions on who may serve as the treasurer for a political committee organized in Massachusetts. Those who cannot serve as the treasurer of a political committee include:
If you have further questions, or require additional information, please contact OCPF.
If you decide to run for a different office, you need to download and complete this form:
Change of Purpose (Office Sought) CPF 101P
Once completed, return this form to OCPF or your local election official.
OCPF issues various publications to help candidates, committees, public employees and others understand the campaign finance law. Every publication is available at no cost and we will provide them via email, fax or mail upon request.
| Title | Description | # of Pages | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAMPAIGN FINANCE GUIDES | Campaign finance guides explain the disclosure requirements and filing process for candidates and committees. | ||
| Depository Candidates and PACs | This guide is for candidates for the statewide offices, House, Senate, county and district offices, Governor's Council, mayor, city council and alderman candidates in Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Fall River, Framingham, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, New Bedford, Newton, Quincy, Somerville, Springfield, Waltham and Worcester, as well as PACs, People's Committees and the state political party committees. | 25 | |
| One-Page Summary of the Depository Reporting System | A one-page summary of the Depository Reporting System | 1 | |
| A Summary of the Depository Reporting System, for Legislative Candidates | A summary of the depository system, for House and Senate candidates | 1 | |
| Candidates for Municipal Office | This guide is for candidates running for local offices that have their reporting requirements with their local election officials. | 22 | |
| Local Election Officials | This guide is designed to introduce city and town clerks and local election officials to the provisions of the campaign finance law. | 22 | |
| Municipal Write-in Candidates | This one-paged guide assists candidates who run write-in campaigns on the local level. | 1 | |
| Municipal Candidates Without A Committee | This one-paged guide assists candidates who run without a committee on the local level. | 1 | |
| Independent Expenditure Political Action Committees (IE PACs) |
This guide is for political action committees that receive contributions for the purpose of making independent expenditures to support or oppose a candidate or candidates. | 18 | |
| State Ballot Question Committees | This summary guide describes how to organize a State Ballot Question Committee with OCPF, and how to disclose its financial activity. | 20 | |
| Municipal Ballot Question Committees | This summary guide describes how to organize and operate a Municpal Ballot Question Committee, and how to disclose its finance activity with local election officials. | 18 | |
| Municipal Political Action Committees | A guide for municipal PACs that file with local election officials. | 2 | |
| Local Political Party Committees | This summary guide describes how to operate a Local Political Party Committee that is organized on the ward, town or city levels. | 22 | |
| Public Employees, Public Resources and Political Activity | This guide is intended to answer questions concerning political and fundraising activity by government workers. | 23 | |
| Committee Treasurers | This guide provides basic information about the role and duties of the treasurer of a political committee in Massachusetts. | 24 | |
| Public Finance Handbook | This guide provides information about the public financing program in Massachusetts. | 114 | |
| OCPF Political Party Convention Guidance | A summary of legal guidance concerning state party conventions, for parties, delegates and candidates. | 2 | |
| Public Employee Unions and PACs | A guide for the process of collecting contributions from public employees for an affiliated union PAC. | 2 | |
| Savings Accounts: Depository System | This guide explains how to create and maintain a savings account in the depository system of reporting. | 2 | |
| CAMPAIGN FINANCE FACT SHEETS | Campaign finance fact sheets are brief overviews, explainers or charts that contain basic information about aspects of the campaign finance law. | ||
| Annual Campaign Contribution Limits | Click here to view a chart of the contribution limits to candidates and political committees in Massachusetts. | 1 | |
| How to File a Deposit Report | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 8 | |
| How to Amend a Deposit Report | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 9 | |
| How to File a Year-End Report in the Depository system | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 8 | |
| How to amend a depository year-end report | An illustrated guide on how to amend a year-end report that has already been filed with OCPF. | 3 | |
| Traditional PACs that make Independent Expenditures | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 8 | |
| How to dissolve a depository account with OCPF | This illustrated guide explains the process for dissolving (closing) a depository account with OCPF | 8 | |
| How to File a Reimbursement in the Depository System | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 6 | |
| How to Clarify an Expenditure | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 6 | |
| How to Add/Update Occupation and Employer Information | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 6 | |
| How to Report Credit and Debit Card Fees | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 8 | |
| How to Account for Merchant Provider Refunds | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 11 | |
| How to Upload Contributor Data to a Deposit Report | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 13 | |
| How to Disclose Subvendor Expenditures | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 8 | |
| How to Forgive a Candidate Loan | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 11 | |
| Candidate Loan Repayment in the Depository System of Reporting | An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees | 7 | |
| How to Report Out-of-Pocket Expenditures | An illustrated guide for candidates who file with their local election officials. | 4 | |
| How to Account for Credit and Debit Card Fees (Contributions) | An illustrated guide for candidates who file with their local election officials. | 4 | |
| How to Use Reporter 7 to Create, Print, and File Reports | An illustrated guide for local filers who use Reporter 7 to create, print and file reports. | 12 | |
| How to Complete and File the M102 Campaign Finance Form | An illustrated guide for candidates who file with their local election officials. | 9 | |
| Traditional municipal PACs that make independent expenditure | An illustrated guide for Traditional municipal PACs that make independent expenditure. | 3 | |
| Paid for By Guide | An illustrated guide that provides examples of disclaimers on campaign materials. | 7 | |
| Independent Spending | This illustrated guide demonstrates how to register to file reports for independent expenditures (18A), electioneering communications and independent ballot question spending. | 14 | |
| Campaign Finance Law Changes: A Timeline | Guide: Timeline of campaign finance law revisions. | 1 | How to dissolve a committee | Committees that have no cash balance, assets or outstanding liabilities and wish to dissolve may do so, as long as the candidate represented by the committee does not still hold elected office. | 1 |
| Changing the purpose of a candidate’s committee | Guide: Changing the purpose of a candidate's committee (when a candidate decides to run for another office) | 1 | |
| Public Employees and Campaigns | This is a one-page summary describing the implications of the campaign finance law for public employees and public buildings, and the use of public resources for political purposes. | 1 | |
| How to Report Late Contributions | This guide describes how and when to file Late Contribution Reports. | 3 | |
| Traditional political action committees that make independent expenditures | This guide explains the steps a state-level PAC must take if it makes independent expenditures to support or oppose candidates who file with OCPF. | 1 | |
| Electronic Filing Instructions (Depository Filers) | This one-page explainer provides step-by-step instructions for Depository Committees to use OCPF reporting software. | 1 | |
| The Campaign Finance Law and Businesses | This one-page explainer provides guidance on the impact of the campaign finance law on businesses. | 1 | |
| Common Errors Made When Completing Campaign Finance Reports | This guide helps committees to avoid common errors made when completing campaign finance reports. | 1 | |
| Campaign Finance Disclosure in Municipal Elections | Local candidates will want to review this guide prior to filing reports with their local election officials. | 2 | |
| An Overview of the Massachusetts Public Finance System | Statewide candidates should review this guide, whether they plan on participating in the public financing system or not. The public financing system provides matching contributions to qualified candidates. | 2 | |
| Application of Spending Limit Declarations | This guide describes the process that statewide candidates follow concerning spending limit statements. | 1 | |
| Statewide Candidates Expenditure Statements | This guide describes the process that statewide candidates follow concerning expenditure statements. | 1 | |
| OCPF Monthly Newsletter | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OCPF Quarterly Newsletter (until April 2022) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Request an e-Subscription | ||||
| 2022 | Winter | Spring | ||
| 2021 | Winter | Spring | Summer / Special | Fall |
| 2020 | Winter | Spring | Summer / Special | Fall |
| 2019 | Winter | Spring | Summer / Special | Fall / Special |
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| 2017 | Winter | Spring | Summer / Special | Fall |
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| 2014 | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall / Special |
| 2013 | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |
| 2012 | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |
| 2011 | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |
| 2010 | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |
| 2009 | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall / Special |
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| 2000 | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |
OCPF compiles and publishes studies of campaign finance activity by various types of candidates and committees. The office also complies and publishes reports on the limited public financing system for candidates seeking statewide office.
