Sections
Subchapter 1 General Provisions 1001 – 1006
Subchapter 2 Reports On Campaigns for Office 1011 – 1020-A
Subchapter 4 Reports by Political Action Committees and Ballot Question Committees 1051 – 1063
Subchapter 5 Maine Code of Fair Campaign Practices 1101 – 1105

Terms Used In Maine Revised Statutes > Title 21-A > Chapter 13 - Campaign Reports and Finances

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Any election: means primary and general elections and referenda, whether regular or special. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Appellate: About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgement of another lower court or tribunal.
  • Ballot question committee: means a person that receives contributions or makes expenditures aggregating in excess of $5,000 for the purpose of initiating or influencing a campaign, other than a campaign for the nomination or election of a candidate. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1052
  • Bureau: means the Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Health. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19251
  • Business day: means any day of the calendar year other than a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Campaign: means any course of activities to influence the nomination or election of a candidate or to initiate or influence any of the following ballot measures:
A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1052
  • Candidate: means any person who has filed a petition under either sections 335 and 336 or sections 354 and 355 and has qualified as a candidate by either procedure, or any person who has received contributions or made expenditures or has given consent for any other person to receive contributions or make expenditures with the intent of qualifying as a candidate. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Caucus: means a meeting of a political party or committee. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
  • Caucus political action committee: means a political action committee designated under section 1053?C to promote the election of nominees of a political party to the Senate or the House of Representatives. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1001
  • Commission: means the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices established under Title 1, section 1002. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1001
  • Committee: means any political action committee or ballot question committee and includes any agent of a political action committee or ballot question committee. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1052
  • Community-based AIDS organization: means a nonprofit community organization whose primary purpose is to provide educational information on HIV-related illnesses, support to persons with HIV-related illnesses and assistance to families and others providing care and support to persons with HIV-related illnesses. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19251
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Contribution: includes :
  • A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1052
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • County office: means the office of judge of probate, register of probate, county treasurer, register of deeds, sheriff, district attorney or county commissioner. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Declared write-in candidate: means a write-in candidate who has filed a declaration to be a write-in candidate pursuant to section 722?A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Domestic partner: means one of 2 unmarried adults who are domiciled together under long-term arrangements that evidence a commitment to remain responsible indefinitely for each other's welfare. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Donor: The person who makes a gift.
  • Election: means any primary, general or special election for state or county office or municipal office in a municipality subject to Title 30?A, section 2502, subsection 1 and any referendum, including a municipal referendum in a municipality subject to Title 30?A, section 2502, subsection 2. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1001
  • Election year: means the calendar year within which a particular election is held. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Exempt donor: means a person that has not received contributions for the purpose of influencing a campaign in the prior 2 years and whose only payments of money to influence a campaign in the prior 2 years are:
  • A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1052
  • Federal office: means the office of the United States Senator or Representative to Congress. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Fiscal agent: means an incorporated community organization, agency or institution designated by a community-based AIDS organization and authorized by the bureau to receive and distribute grants to that community-based AIDS organization. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19251
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • General election: means the regular election of state and county officials occurring biennially in November. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Immediate family: means a person's spouse, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sister, half-sister, brother, half-brother, stepparent, stepgrandparent, stepchild, stepgrandchild, stepsister, stepbrother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, guardian, former guardian, domestic partner, the half-brother or half-sister of a person's spouse, or the spouse of a person's half-brother or half-sister. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • in writing: include printing and other modes of making legible words. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Influence: means to promote, support, oppose or defeat. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1012
  • Influence: means to promote, support, oppose or defeat. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1052
  • Initiate: includes the collection of signatures and related activities to qualify a state or local initiative or referendum for the ballot. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1052
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Majority: when used in reference to age shall mean the age of 18 and over. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • may: when used in this Title, is used in a permissive sense to grant authority or permission, but not to create duty, to act in the manner specified by the context. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 7
  • Month: means a calendar month. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • municipal clerk: means the clerk, deputy clerk or assistant clerk, where directed by the clerk to carry out duties under this Title, of a municipality. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Municipal committee: means a city, town or ward committee of a political party. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Municipal officers: means :
  • A. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 2001
  • Municipality: means a city, town or plantation. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Municipality: includes cities, towns and plantations, except that "municipality" does not include plantations in Title 10, chapter 110, subchapter IV; or Title 30?A, Part 2. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Municipality: means a city or town, except as provided in chapter 225. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 2001
  • Oath: includes an affirmation, when affirmation is allowed. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Party: means a political organization which has qualified to participate in a primary or general election under chapter 5. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Party candidate listing: means any communication that meets the following criteria. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1012
  • Person: means any natural person, firm, corporation, partnership or other organization, association or group, however organized. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19201
  • Person: means an individual, committee, firm, partnership, corporation, association or organization. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1001
  • Person: means an individual, corporation, partnership, firm, organization or other legal entity. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 2001
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Political committee: means 2 or more persons associated for the purpose of promoting or defeating a candidate, party or principle. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Population: means the population determined by the last Decennial Census of the United States. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Primary election: means the regular election for the election of nominees of a party for the general election. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
  • Question: means any proposition submitted to the voters. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Real estate: includes lands and all tenements and hereditaments connected therewith, and all rights thereto and interests therein. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Referendum: means an election for the determination of a question. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Register: means to enlist as a voter. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Scrap metal: means metal that can be recycled, including, but not limited to, bits and pieces of metal parts that may be combined together with bolts or soldering and can be recycled when worn or superfluous. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 30-A Sec. 3771
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • Signature: includes a signature stamp and a signature written by another registered voter on behalf of an individual in accordance with the procedure set forth in section 153?A and, for an individual who is unable to sign that individual's own name, a mark. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Special election: means an election other than a regular election. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Statewide AIDS alliance: means a statewide coalition of community-based AIDS organizations having at least one representative from each member organization. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 5 Sec. 19251
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
  • Town: includes cities and plantations, unless otherwise expressed or implied. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Treasurer: means a person appointed by a candidate or a political committee to accept or disburse money to promote or defeat a candidate, party or principle. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
  • United States: includes territories and the District of Columbia. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72
  • Uphold: The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision.
  • Veto: The procedure established under the Constitution by which the President/Governor refuses to approve a bill or joint resolution and thus prevents its enactment into law. A regular veto occurs when the President/Governor returns the legislation to the house in which it originated. The President/Governor usually returns a vetoed bill with a message indicating his reasons for rejecting the measure. In Congress, the veto can be overridden only by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House.
  • Voter: means a person registered to vote. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Write-in candidate: means a person whose name does not appear on the ballot under the office designation to which a voter may wish to elect the candidate. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A Sec. 1
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Maine Revised Statutes Title 1 Sec. 72