Treasurer and Candidate Duties

All candidates and committees are required to register with NYSBOE for campaign finance purposes.

In order to register with the New York State Board of Elections, appropriate forms must be filed by: 

1. a treasurer of a political committee; or 
2. a candidate with a registered authorized committee that will be disclosing all of the financial activity of the candidate’s campaign including all of the financial activity of the candidate; or 
3. a candidate who does not have a registered authorized committee that will be disclosing all of the financial activity of the candidate’s campaign, including the financial activity of the candidate; or 
4. a candidate who has a registered authorized committee, but chooses to have financial activity for the campaign that will not be disclosed by the authorized committee.

Please note: The NYS Public Campaign Finance Program launched on November 9, 2022. This is a program for statewide and state legislative candidates, allowing them the ability to qualify for public matching funds based on eligible contributions from in-district residents. Candidates participating in the Program MUST use an authorized committee for their campaign. If you are interested in participating in the NYS Public Campaign Finance Program, you may find more information and the appropriate PCF-21 Committee Registration Form on the PCFB website.

Detailed, Bound Accounts

The treasurer of every political committee, as well as every candidate who receives or expends any money or any valuable thing or incurs any liability to pay money or its equivalent, shall keep and retain detailed, bound accounts of all receipts, transfers, loans, liabilities, contributions and expenditures, made by the committee or any of its officers, members, or agents acting under its authority or in its behalf, or the candidate, as applicable. (EL 14-118.)
 

Receipts Requirement

All expenditures over $10 must be vouched for by a receipted bill stating the particulars of the expense. (EL 14-122(2).)
 

Evidence of Indebtedness/Forgiveness

Any campaign financial disclosure report indicating a loan shall have attached to it a copy of the evidence of indebtedness. (EL 14-102.) After submitting the applicable disclosure report using the EFS Web Application, the evidence of indebtedness should be uploaded directly into the application, as well. Evidence of indebtedness is the loan document. 

If any loan or outstanding liability is forgiven, then the report indicating such forgiveness must also include a copy of the evidence of forgiveness. After submitting the applicable disclosure report using the EFS Web Application, the evidence of forgiveness should be uploaded directly into the application, as well. Evidence of forgiveness is a document that shows that the obligation has been forgiven.

Any loan or liability that is forgiven is subject to applicable contribution limits.
 

Limits on Cash

There are limits on the amount of cash that candidates and political committees/treasurers can receive and expend. No candidate, political committee or agent thereof may receive from any one person or entity an aggregate amount greater than $100 in cash. Disbursements/expenditures in excess of $100 may NOT be in cash. (EL 14-118(2).)
 

Financial Activity–Deposits

All cash, checks, drafts or other instruments shall be deposited in the account of the candidate or committee in the designated depository. (EL 14-118 (2).)

The filer, who may either be the treasurer or candidate, is legally responsible for filing all required campaign financial disclosure reports. (EL 14-118(1), (3).) Filers filing with NYSBOE must file electronically, using NYSBOE’s Electronic Filing System (EFS) Web Application. (EL 14-102(4).)

Request treasurer resignation/filer termination from the New York State Board of Elections. You must continue to fulfill filing obligations until the request is granted. Treasurers filing treasurer resignation reports or treasurers or candidates filing termination reports with NYSBOE must also file a paper Termination or Resignation Request Form/No-Activity Report Form (CF-18) with an original signature, making sure to check the box(es) applicable to the request. 

See more information on Resignation/Termination.

Please Note: Candidates interested in participating in the New York State Public Campaign Finance Program will need to terminate any existing authorized committee for the same office.

In accordance with NYS Election Law, every political committee shall have a treasurer and depository (bank), and shall cause the treasurer (active and/or resigned) to keep detailed, bound accounts of all receipts, transfers, loans, liabilities, contributions and expenditures made by the committee or any of its officers, members or agents, acting under its authority or on its behalf, for a period of five years from the date of the filing of the final campaign financial disclosure report with respect to the election or convention to which they pertain. These requirements regarding records retention also apply to candidates. (EL 14-118.)