Campaign finance requirements for Missouri ballot measures
 in Missouri |
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Groups and individuals involved in ballot measure campaigns in Missouri 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.
Proponents of more stringent regulations and disclosure requirements, such as the Brennan Center for Justice, claim that current laws do not go far enough to mitigate corruption and the influence of undisclosed special interests. Others, such as the Institute for Free Speech, argue that strict disclosure requirements and contribution limits impinge upon the rights to privacy and free expression.[1][2]
| In Missouri, a group whose "sole purpose" is to support or oppose a ballot measure is considered a campaign committee. There are no limits that apply to contributions made to campaign committees. |
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.
Missouri 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 Missouri, ballot measures come in the following forms: legislatively referred state statutes, initiated state statutes, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, initiated constitutional amendments, veto referenda and automatic ballot referrals.
Organizational requirements
In Missouri, a group whose "sole purpose" is to support or oppose a ballot measure is considered a campaign committee. The committee must register a statement of organization with the Missouri Ethics Commission within 20 days of forming the committee. Prior to filing this form, the committee must appoint a treasurer and deputy treasurer. In addition, the committee must open a bank account.[3][4]
See form: Campaign Finance Committee Registration Packet
Contribution limits
In Missouri, campaign contributions are unlimited.[5]
Reporting requirements
Campaign committees are required to file regular campaign finance disclosure reports. These reports detail receipts and expenditures. The following types of reports are required:[6][7]
- 40-day pre-election report
- Eight-day pre-election report
- 30-day post-election report
- Quarterly reports (in January, April, July and October)
For contributions exceeding $100, a committee must report the name, address and employer/occupation of the donor. For expenditures exceeding $100, a committee must report the name and address of the recipient.[8]
If a committee receives a single contribution exceeding $5,000, that contribution must be reported to the Missouri Ethics Commission within 48 hours. Similarly, any contribution exceeding $250 that is received between the 11th day prior to the election and the day prior to the election must be reported within 24 hours of receipt.
Year-specific reporting dates
2021
The table below lists campaign finance report filing deadlines for political action committees in Missouri in 2021.
| Campaign finance reporting deadlines in Missouri, 2021 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Report | Closing date | Filing deadline |
| Quarterly report | December 31, 2020 | January 15, 2021 |
| Quarterly report | March 31, 2021 | April 15, 2021 |
| Quarterly report | June 30, 2021 | July 15, 2021 |
| Quarterly report | September 30, 2021 | October 15, 2021 |
| Campaign finance reporting deadlines in Missouri, 2021 (February 2 election) | ||
| Report | Closing date | Filing deadline |
| 40-day pre-election report | December 19, 2020 | December 24, 2020 |
| 8-day pre-election report | January 21, 2021 | January 25, 2021 |
| 30-day post-election report | February 27, 2021 | March 4, 2021 |
| Campaign finance reporting deadlines in Missouri, 2021 (March 2 election) | ||
| Report | Closing date | Filing deadline |
| 40-day pre-election report | January 16, 2021 | January 21, 2021 |
| 8-day pre-election report | February 18, 2021 | February 22, 2021 |
| 30-day post-election report | March 27, 2021 | April 1, 2021 |
| Campaign finance reporting deadlines in Missouri, 2021 (April 6 election) | ||
| Report | Closing date | Filing deadline |
| 40-day pre-election report | February 20, 2021 | February 25, 2021 |
| 8-day pre-election report | March 25, 2021 | March 29, 2021 |
| 30-day post-election report | May 1, 2021 | May 6, 2021 |
| Campaign finance reporting deadlines in Missouri, 2021 (August 3 election) | ||
| Report | Closing date | Filing deadline |
| 8-day pre-election report | July 22, 2021 | July 26, 2021 |
| 30-day post-election report | August 28, 2021 | September 2, 2021 |
| Campaign finance reporting deadlines in Missouri, 2021 (November 2 election) | ||
| Report | Closing date | Filing deadline |
| 8-day pre-election report | October 21, 2021 | October 25, 2021 |
| 30-day post-election report | November 27, 2021 | December 2, 2021 |
| Source: Missouri Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Filing Requirements and Dates," accessed July 13, 2021 | ||
2016
The table below lists relevant campaign finance report filing deadlines in Missouri in 2016. The dates below apply only to the general election (November 8, 2016).
| Campaign finance reporting deadlines in Missouri, 2016 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Report | Reporting period end | Filing deadline |
| January quarterly report | December 31, 2015 | January 15, 2016 |
| April quarterly report | March 31, 2016 | April 15, 2016 |
| July quarterly report | June 30, 2016 | July 15, 2016 |
| October quarterly report | September 30, 2016 | October 17, 2016 |
| 8-day pre-election report | October 27, 2016 | October 31, 2016 |
| 30-day post-election report | December 3, 2016 | December 8, 2016 |
| Source: Missouri Ethics Commission, "Guide to Ethics Laws 2016," accessed December 7, 2015 | ||
State agencies
- See also: Campaign finance agencies in Missouri
In Missouri, there is one primary agency involved in campaign finance regulation.
- Missouri Ethics Commission
- PO Box 1370
- Jefferson City, MO 65102
- Telephone: (573) 751-2020
- Fax: (573) 526-4506
Campaign finance legislation
The following is a list of recent campaign finance bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Missouri 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 Missouri campaign finance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Campaign finance requirements in Missouri
- Campaign finance agencies in Missouri
- List of Missouri ballot measures
External links
Additional reading
Footnotes
- ↑ Institute for Free Speech, "Money in Politics," accessed September 4, 2017
- ↑ Brennan Center for Justice, "Money in Politics," accessed September 4, 2017
- ↑ Missouri Ethics Commission, "Campaign Committees," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ Missouri Revised Statutes, "Section 130.011," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Limits on Contributions to Candidates, 2015-2016 Election Cycle," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ Missouri Ethics Commission, "Guide to Ethics Laws 2016," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ Missouri Revised Statutes, "Section 130.046.1," accessed December 7, 2015
- ↑ Institute for Justice, "Campaign Finance Red Tape: Strangling Free Speech and Political Debate," October 2007
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