OCPF - Publications

OCPF Quarterly Newsletter (until April 2022)
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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, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Newton, Quincy, Somerville, Springfield and Worcester, as well as PACs, People's Committees and the state political party committees.	25 pages
One-Page Summary of the Depository Reporting System	A one-page summary of the Depository Reporting System	1 page
Candidates for Municipal Office	This guide is for candidates running for local offices that have their reporting requirements with their local election officials.	22 pages
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 pages
Municipal Write-in Candidates	This one-paged guide assists candidates who run write-in campaigns on the local level.	1 page
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 pages
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 pages
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 pages
Municipal Political Action Committees	A guide for municipal PACs that file with local election officials.	2 pages
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 pages
Public Employees, Public Resources and Political Activity	This guide is intended to answer questions concerning political and fundraising activity by government workers.	23 pages
Committee Treasurers	This guide provides basic information about the role and duties of the treasurer of a political committee in Massachusetts.	24 pages
Public Finance Handbook	This guide provides information about the public financing program in Massachusetts (2022 information coming soon).	120 pages
OCPF Political Party Convention Guidance	A summary of legal guidance concerning state party conventions, for parties, delegates and candidates.	2 pages
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	View a chart of the contribution limits to candidates and political committees in Massachusetts.	1 page
How to File a Deposit Report	An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees	8 page
How to Clarify an Expenditure	An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees	6 page
How to Add/Update Occupation and Employer Information	An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees	6 page
How to Report Credit and Debit Card Fees	An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees	8 page
How to Account for Merchant Provider Refunds	An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees	8 page
How to Amend a Deposit Report	An illustrated guide for depository candidates and committees	9 page
How to Report Out-of-Pocket Expenditures	An illustrated guide for candidates who file with their local election officials	4 page
How to Complete and File the M102 Campaign Finance Form	An illustrated guide for candidates who file with their local election officials	9 page
Traditional municipal PACs that make independent expenditure	An illustrated guide for Traditional municipal PACs that make independent expenditure.	3 page
Paid for By Guide	An illustrated guide that provides examples of disclaimers on campaign materials.	7 page
Campaign Finance Law Changes: A Timeline	Guide: Timeline of campaign finance law revisions.	1 page
Filing Responsibilities with OCPF By Report Type	UNDER REVIEW: All political committees file regular campaign finance reports. But what about other forms and reports, such as independent expenditures or late contribution reports? This chart shows committees, businesses, groups and individuals when they need to file other reports.	1 page
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 page
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 page
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 page
How to Report Late Contributions	This guide describes how and when to file Late Contribution Reports.	3 page
Reporting Out-of-Pocket Campaign Expenditures	This is a one-page, step-by-step guide to explain how to report out-of-pocket campaign expenditures. (ONLY FOR CANDIDATES WHO FILE WITH THEIR LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS.)	1 page
Electronic Filing Instructions (Depository Filers)	This one-page explainer provides step-by-step instructions for Depository Committees to use OCPF reporting software.	1 page
Electronic Filing Instructions (Non Depository Filers)	This one-page explainer provides step-by-step instructions for Non Depository Committees to use OCPF reporting software.	1 page
The Campaign Finance Law and Businesses	This one-page explainer provides guidance on the impact of the campaign finance law on businesses.	1 page
Common Errors Made When Completing Campaign Finance Reports	This guide helps committees to avoid common errors made when completing campaign finance reports.	1 page
Campaign Finance Disclosure in Municipal Elections	Local candidates will want to review this guide prior to filing reports with their local election officials.	2 page
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 page
Application of Spending Limit Declarations	This guide describes the process that statewide candidates follow concerning spending limit statements.	1 page
Statewide Candidates Expenditure Statements	This guide describes the process that statewide candidates follow concerning expenditure statements.	1 page

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