Sec. 9-704. Qualifying contributions.
Sec. 9-704. Qualifying contributions. (a) The amount of qualifying contributions
that the candidate committee of a candidate shall be required to receive in order to be
eligible for grants from the Citizens' Election Fund shall be:
(1) In the case of a candidate for nomination or election to the office of Governor,
contributions from individuals in the aggregate amount of two hundred fifty thousand
dollars, of which two hundred twenty-five thousand dollars or more is contributed by
individuals residing in the state. The provisions of this subdivision shall be subject to
the following: (A) The candidate committee shall return the portion of any contribution
or contributions from any individual, including said candidate, that exceeds one hundred
dollars, and such excess portion shall not be considered in calculating such amounts,
and (B) all contributions received by (i) an exploratory committee established by said
candidate, or (ii) an exploratory committee or candidate committee of a candidate for
the office of Lieutenant Governor who is deemed to be jointly campaigning with a
candidate for nomination or election to the office of Governor under subsection (a) of
section 9-709, which meet the criteria for qualifying contributions to candidate committees under this section shall be considered in calculating such amounts; and
(2) In the case of a candidate for nomination or election to the office of Lieutenant
Governor, Attorney General, State Comptroller, State Treasurer or Secretary of the
State, contributions from individuals in the aggregate amount of seventy-five thousand
dollars, of which sixty-seven thousand five hundred dollars or more is contributed by
individuals residing in the state. The provisions of this subdivision shall be subject to
the following: (A) The candidate committee shall return the portion of any contribution
or contributions from any individual, including said candidate, that exceeds one hundred
dollars, and such excess portion shall not be considered in calculating such amounts,
and (B) all contributions received by an exploratory committee established by said candidate that meet the criteria for qualifying contributions to candidate committees under
this section shall be considered in calculating such amounts.
(3) In the case of a candidate for nomination or election to the office of state senator
for a district, contributions from individuals in the aggregate amount of fifteen thousand
dollars, including contributions from at least three hundred individuals residing in municipalities included, in whole or in part, in said district. The provisions of this subdivision shall be subject to the following: (A) The candidate committee shall return the
portion of any contribution or contributions from any individual, including said candidate, that exceeds one hundred dollars, and such excess portion shall not be considered
in calculating the aggregate contribution amount under this subdivision, (B) no contribution shall be counted for the purposes of the requirement under this subdivision for
contributions from at least three hundred individuals residing in municipalities included,
in whole or in part, in the district unless the contribution is five dollars or more, and (C)
all contributions received by an exploratory committee established by said candidate
that meet the criteria for qualifying contributions to candidate committees under this
section shall be considered in calculating the aggregate contribution amount under this
subdivision and all such exploratory committee contributions that also meet the requirement under this subdivision for contributions from at least three hundred individuals
residing in municipalities included, in whole or in part, in the district shall be counted
for the purposes of said requirement.
(4) In the case of a candidate for nomination or election to the office of state representative for a district, contributions from individuals in the aggregate amount of five
thousand dollars, including contributions from at least one hundred fifty individuals
residing in municipalities included, in whole or in part, in said district. The provisions
of this subdivision shall be subject to the following: (A) The candidate committee shall
return the portion of any contribution or contributions from any individual, including
said candidate, that exceeds one hundred dollars, and such excess portion shall not be
considered in calculating the aggregate contribution amount under this subdivision,
(B) no contribution shall be counted for the purposes of the requirement under this
subdivision for contributions from at least one hundred fifty individuals residing in
municipalities included, in whole or in part, in the district unless the contribution is
five dollars or more, and (C) all contributions received by an exploratory committee
established by said candidate that meet the criteria for qualifying contributions to candidate committees under this section shall be considered in calculating the aggregate contribution amount under this subdivision and all such exploratory committee contributions that also meet the requirement under this subdivision for contributions from at
least one hundred fifty individuals residing in municipalities included, in whole or in
part, in the district shall be counted for the purposes of said requirement.
(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions (3) and (4) of this subsection,
in the case of a special election for the office of state senator or state representative
for a district, (A) the aggregate amount of qualifying contributions that the candidate
committee of a candidate for such office shall be required to receive in order to be
eligible for a grant from the Citizens' Election Fund shall be seventy-five per cent or
more of the corresponding amount required under the applicable said subdivision (3)
or (4), and (B) the number of contributions required from individuals residing in municipalities included, in whole or in part, in said district shall be seventy-five per cent or
more of the corresponding number required under the applicable said subdivision (3)
or (4).
(b) Each individual who makes a contribution of more than fifty dollars to a candidate committee established to aid or promote the success of a participating candidate
for nomination or election shall include with the contribution a certification that contains
the same information described in subdivision (3) of subsection (c) of section 9-608
and shall follow the same procedure prescribed in said subsection.
(c) The following shall not be deemed to be qualifying contributions under subsection (a) of this section and shall be returned by the campaign treasurer of the candidate
committee to the contributor or transmitted to the State Elections Enforcement Commission for deposit in the Citizens' Election Fund:
(1) A contribution from a communicator lobbyist or a member of the immediate
family of a communicator lobbyist;
(2) A contribution from a principal of a state contractor or prospective state contractor;
(3) A contribution of less than five dollars, and a contribution of five dollars or
more from an individual who does not provide the full name and complete address of
the individual; and
(4) A contribution under subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection (a) of this section
from an individual who does not reside in the state, in excess of the applicable limit on
contributions from out-of-state individuals in subsection (a) of this section.
(d) After a candidate committee receives the applicable aggregate amount of qualifying contributions under subsection (a) of this section, the candidate committee shall
transmit any additional contributions that it receives to the State Treasurer for deposit
in the Citizens' Election Fund.
(e) As used in this section, (1) "communicator lobbyist" has the same meaning as
provided in section 1-91, (2) "immediate family" means the spouse or a dependent child
of an individual, and (3) "principal of a state contractor or prospective state contractor"
has the same meaning as provided in subsection (g) of section 9-612.
(Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5, S. 5; P.A. 08-2, S. 16.)
History: Oct. 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-5 effective December 31, 2006, and applicable to elections held on or after that
date; P.A. 08-2 amended Subsec. (b) to delete former provision re certification and require certification to contain same
information described in Sec. 9-608(c)(3), and procedure prescribed therein to be followed, and amended Subsec. (c) to
allow for transmission of nonqualifying contributions to State Elections Enforcement Commission for deposit in Citizens'
Election Fund and, in Subdiv. (3), to include contribution of less than $5, effective April 7, 2008.
See Sec. 9-717 re effect of court of competent jurisdiction's prohibiting or limiting the expenditure of funds from the
Citizens' Election Fund established in Sec. 9-701.