Continuing political committees "close out" at the end of every calendar year. In preparation for the end of year C-4 report due on Jan. 10, 2019, there are a few steps that you can take in order to clean up your campaign for the year.

Check for any outstanding checks. You may have written… read more

As you finish your 2018 campaign, make sure that you keep track of your campaign books. By law, you need to keep the records of the contributions to your campaign, including loans, and the expenditures that you've made from campaign funds for 5 years from the date of each contribution and… read more

The Public Disclosure Commission wants to hear from the public about proposed changes to interpretations dealing with campaign loans, debts, pledges and electronic contributions.

The revisions to Interpretations 12-01 and 00-02, discussed by the commission Dec. 6 and due for further… read more

Beginning Dec. 15, legislators, state executive office holders and their employees or agents may not accept or solicit contributions:

for any candidate for state or local office; to a public office fund; to retire a campaign debt; or for a political committee, including a caucus political… read more

The Public Disclosure Commission approved emergency rules Nov. 29 to implement Substitute Senate Bill 5991, also known as the Disclose Act.

The legislation, which creates PDC filing requirements for some nonprofits that engage in political activity, takes effect Jan. 1, 2019.

In… read more

At a November 29 special meeting, the Public Disclosure Commission approved the permanent rules for implementation of Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2938.

The new rules make changes to campaign finance reporting requirements and enforcement procedures for alleged violations. They take… read more

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency should be treated as the equivalent of cash and limited to $100 (RCW 42.17A.475). The cryptocurrency should be converted to legal tender, deposited in the campaign depository within five business days of receipt (RCW 42.17A.220), and timely reported.

If… read more

In the waning days of the election season, campaigns are making lots of expenditures to get out their messages. The PDC encourages campaigns to provide as much detail as possible to help the public identify the purpose of those expenses.

Campaigns should "describe in detail the goods and/… read more

The PDC has received several inquiries about how to provide sponsor ID for political advertising via text message, which is considered an online transmission method under WAC 390-05-290(2). PDC staff has advised political committees that text messages are eligible to use the small online ad… read more

If you file C-4 reports for a candidate who will be on the November ballot or a political committee that's involved with the general election this year, you have a C-4 report due Oct. 16. This C-4 should be a report for the period of Sept. 1 through Oct. 15.

If you don't see a C-4 with a… read more