Campaign finance requirements for Mississippi ballot measures
 in Mississippi |
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Groups and individuals involved in ballot measure campaigns in Mississippi must adhere to the state's campaign finance laws. These laws regulate the amounts and sources of money given or received for political purposes; in addition, campaign finance laws stipulate disclosure requirements for political contributions and expenditures.
Campaign finance laws are a source of considerable contention. Proponents of more stringent regulations and disclosure requirements claim that current laws do not go far enough to mitigate corruption and the influence of undisclosed special interests. Others argue that strict disclosure requirements and contribution limits impinge upon the right to privacy and to free expression.
| In Mississippi, any group acting in support of or opposition to a ballot question is considered a political committee. A political committee can accept unlimited contributions from any lawful source. |
The laws and regulations that apply to ballot measure campaigns may differ from those that apply to candidates for political office. To learn more about campaign finance requirements for candidates, see this article.
Mississippi ballot measures
- See also: Ballot measure
A ballot measure is any question or issue that appears on an election ballot to be approved or rejected by voters. In 26 states, plus Washington, D.C., citizens may use the initiative and referendum process, which permits citizens to petition to place measures on the ballot and usually involves a signature collection process of some kind. Even in states without initiative and referendum processes, however, ballot measures exist. In all states, citizens may be asked to approve legislatively referred constitutional amendments, state statutes, bond issues or tax proposals.
In Mississippi, ballot measures come in two forms: legislatively referred constitutional amendments and initiated constitutional amendments.
Organizational requirements
In Mississippi, any group acting in support of or opposition to a ballot question is considered a political committee. Political committees must file a statement of organization with the secretary of state within 10 days of making expenditures or receiving contributions worth $200. The statement must designate a treasurer and list the names and addresses of all officers[1][2][3]
See form: Statement of Organization
Contribution limits
Under Mississippi law, there are no contribution limits that apply to political committees supporting or opposing a ballot measure. Mississippi allows for corporations and labor unions to donate to campaigns registered in support of or opposition to a ballot measure.[4]
Reporting requirements
Mississippi uses a periodic reporting system. Additionally, any political committee that receives $200 or more within 10 days of the election must report that contribution within 48 hours. This report must identify the contributor.[3][4]
For all contributions exceeding $200 in the aggregate in a calendar year, the committee must report the name, address, occupation and employer of the donor. Likewise, for all expenditures exceeding $200 in the aggregate in a calendar year, the committee must report the name, address, occupation and employer of the recipient.[3][4]
Year-specific reporting dates
2021
The table below lists campaign finance report filing deadlines for political action committees in Mississippi in 2021.
| Campaign finance reporting deadlines in Mississippi, 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Report | Reporting period | Filing deadline |
| Pre-election report | January 1, 2021 – October 23, 2021 | October 26, 2021 |
| Pre-runoff election report | October 24, 2021 – November 13, 2021 | November 16, 2021 |
| Annual report | January 1, 2021 – December 31, 2021 | January 31, 2022 |
| Source: Mississippi Secretary of State, "2021 Campaign Finance Reporting Schedule," accessed July 13, 2021 | ||
2015
The table below lists relevant campaign finance report filing deadlines in Mississippi in 2015.
| Campaign finance reporting deadlines in Mississippi, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Report | Reporting period | Filing deadline |
| Annual report | January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014 | January 30, 2015 |
| Periodic report | January 1, 2015 - April 30, 2015 | May 8, 2015 |
| Periodic report | May 1, 2015 - May 31, 2015 | June 10, 2015 |
| Periodic report | June 1, 2015 - June 30, 2015 | July 10, 1015 |
| Pre-election report | July 1, 2015 - July 25, 2015 | July 28, 2015 |
| Pre-runoff report | July 26, 2015 - August 15, 2015 | August 18, 2015 |
| Periodic report | July 1, 2015 - September 30, 2015 | October 9, 2015 |
| Pre-election report | October 1, 2015 - October 24, 2015 | October 27, 2015 |
| Pre-runoff report | October 25, 2015 - November 14, 2015 | November 17, 2015 |
| Periodic report | October 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015 | January 8, 2016 |
| Annual report | January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015 | January 29, 2016 |
| Source: Mississippi Secretary of State, "2015 Campaign Finance Guide," accessed December 11, 2015 | ||
State agencies
- See also: Campaign finance agencies in Mississippi
In Mississippi, there are two primary agencies involved in campaign finance regulation: the offices of Mississippi Secretary of State and the Mississippi Attorney General. The former oversees reporting processes for candidates and political committees. The latter is authorized to prosecute criminal violations of Mississippi's campaign finance laws.
Mississippi Secretary of State, Elections Division
- Heber Ladner Building
- 401 Mississippi Street
- Jackson, Mississippi 39205
- Telephone: 601-576-2550
- Fax: 601-576-2545
Mississippi Attorney General
- 550 High Street, Suite 1200
- Jackson, Mississippi 39201
- Telephone: 601-359-3680
Campaign finance legislation
The following is a list of recent campaign finance bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Mississippi state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.
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Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Mississippi campaign finance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Campaign finance requirements in Mississippi
- Campaign finance agencies in Mississippi
- List of Mississippi ballot measures
External links
- Mississippi Secretary of State, Elections Division
- Mississippi Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance"
Footnotes
- ↑ Justia, "§ 23-15-801 - Definitions," accessed December 11, 2015
- ↑ Justia, "§ 23-15-803 - Registration of political committees," accessed December 11, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Justia, "§ 23-15-807 - Reporting requirements; contributions and disbursements of candidates and political committees," accessed December 11, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Mississippi Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Guide," accessed December 11, 2015
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