13-37-226. Time for filing reports. (1) Except as provided in 13-37-206 and 13-37-225(3), a candidate shall file reports required by 13-37-225(1)(a) containing the information required by 13-37-229, 13-37-231, and 13-37-232 as follows:

Terms Used In Montana Code 13-37-226

  • Ballot: means a paper ballot counted manually or a paper ballot counted by a machine, such as an optical scan system or other technology that automatically tabulates votes cast by processing the paper ballots. See Montana Code 13-1-101
  • Candidate: means :

    (a)an individual who has filed a declaration or petition for nomination, acceptance of nomination, or appointment as a candidate for public office as required by law;

    (b)for the purposes of chapter 35, 36, or 37, an individual who has solicited or received and retained contributions, made expenditures, or given consent to an individual, organization, political party, or committee to solicit or receive and retain contributions or make expenditures on the individual's behalf to secure nomination or election to any office at any time, whether or not the office for which the individual will seek nomination or election is known when the:

    (i)solicitation is made;

    (ii)contribution is received and retained; or

    (iii)expenditure is made; or

    (c)an officeholder who is the subject of a recall election. See Montana Code 13-1-101

  • Contribution: means :

    (i)the receipt by a candidate or a political committee of an advance, gift, loan, conveyance, deposit, payment, or distribution of money or anything of value to support or oppose a candidate or a ballot issue;

    (ii)an expenditure, including an in-kind expenditure, that is made in coordination with a candidate or ballot issue committee and is reportable by the candidate or ballot issue committee as a contribution;

    (iii)the receipt by a political committee of funds transferred from another political committee; or

    (iv)the payment by a person other than a candidate or political committee of compensation for the personal services of another person that are rendered to a candidate or political committee. See Montana Code 13-1-101

  • Election: means a general, special, or primary election held pursuant to the requirements of state law, regardless of the time or purpose. See Montana Code 13-1-101
  • Expenditure: means a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, promise, pledge, or gift of money or anything of value:

    (i)made by a candidate or political committee to support or oppose a candidate or a ballot issue;

    (ii)made by a candidate while the candidate is engaging in campaign activity to pay child-care expenses as provided in 13-37-220; or

    (iii)used or intended for use in making independent expenditures or in producing electioneering communications. See Montana Code 13-1-101

  • Individual: means a human being. See Montana Code 13-1-101
  • issue: means a proposal submitted to the people at an election for their approval or rejection, including but not limited to an initiative, referendum, proposed constitutional amendment, recall question, school levy question, bond issue question, or ballot question. See Montana Code 13-1-101
  • Political committee: means a combination of two or more individuals or a person other than an individual who receives a contribution or makes an expenditure:

    (i)to support or oppose a candidate or a committee organized to support or oppose a candidate or a petition for nomination;

    (ii)to support or oppose a ballot issue or a committee organized to support or oppose a ballot issue; or

    (iii)to prepare or disseminate an election communication, an electioneering communication, or an independent expenditure. See Montana Code 13-1-101

  • Special election: means an election held on a day other than the day specified for a primary election, general election, or regular school election. See Montana Code 13-1-101

(a)quarterly, due on the 5th day following a calendar quarter, beginning with the calendar quarter in which funds are received or expended during the year or years prior to the election year that the candidate expects to be on the ballot and ending in the final quarter of the year preceding the year of an election in which the candidate participates;

(b)except as provided in subsection (4)(a), the 20th day of March, April, May, June, August, September, October, and November in the year of an election in which the candidate participates;

(c)except as provided in subsection (6), within 2 business days of receiving a contribution equal to the applicable limitation provided in 13-37-216 for the candidate if the contribution is received between the 15th day of the month preceding an election in which the candidate participates and the day before the election;

(d)except as provided in subsection (6), within 2 business days of making an expenditure of an amount equal to or more than the applicable contribution limitation provided in 13-37-216 for the candidate if made between the 15th day of the month preceding an election in which the candidate participates and the day before the election;

(e)semiannually on the 10th day of March and September, starting in the year following an election in which the candidate participates until the candidate files a closing report as specified in 13-37-228(3); and

(f)as provided by subsection (3).

(2)Except as provided in 13-37-206, 13-37-225(3), and 13-37-227, a political committee or a joint fundraising committee shall file reports required by 13-37-225(1)(a) containing the information required by 13-37-229, 13-37-231, and 13-37-232 as follows:

(a)quarterly, due on the 5th day following a calendar quarter, beginning with the calendar quarter in which the political committee or the joint fundraising committee receives a contribution or makes an expenditure after an individual becomes a candidate or an issue becomes a ballot issue, as defined in 13-1-101(6)(b), and ending in the final quarter of the year preceding the year in which the candidate or the ballot issue appears on the ballot;

(b)except as provided in subsection (4)(b), the 30th day of March, April, May, June, August, September, October, and November in the year of an election in which the political committee or the joint fundraising committee participates;

(c)within 2 business days of receiving a contribution, except as provided in 13-37-232, of $500 or more if received between the 25th day of the month before an election in which the political committee or the joint fundraising committee participates and the day before the election;

(d)within 2 business days of making an expenditure of $500 or more that is made between the 25th day of the month before an election in which the political committee or the joint fundraising committee participates and the day before the election;

(e)quarterly, due on the 5th day following a calendar quarter, beginning in the calendar quarter following a year of an election in which the political committee or the joint fundraising committee participates until the political committee or the joint fundraising committee files a closing report as specified in 13-37-228(3); and

(f)as provided by subsection (3).

(3)In addition to the reports required by subsections (1), (2), and (4), if a candidate, political committee, or joint fundraising committee participates in a special election, the candidate, political committee, or joint fundraising committee shall file reports as follows:

(a)a report on the 60th, 35th, and 12th days preceding the date of the special election; and

(b)20 days after the special election.

(4)(a) A candidate for a municipal office who participates in an election held in an odd-numbered year shall file the reports required in subsection (1) on the 20th day of June, July, August, September, October, and November of the year of the election in which the candidate participates.

(b)A political committee that participates in a municipal election held in an odd-numbered year shall file the reports required in subsection (2) on the 30th day of June, July, August, September, October, and November of the year of the election in which the committee participates.

(5)Except as provided by 13-37-206, candidates for a local office and political committees that receive contributions or make expenditures referencing a particular local issue or a local candidate shall file the reports specified in subsections (1) through (4) only if the total amount of contributions received or the total amount of funds expended for all elections in a campaign exceeds $500.

(6)A candidate is not required to file a report required by subsection (1)(c) or (1)(d) if the candidate is not opposed in the election.

(7)A report required by this section must cover contributions received and expenditures made pursuant to the time periods specified in 13-37-228.

(8)A report required by this section is due by 11:59 p.m. on the due date.

(9)A political committee may file a closing report prior to the date in 13-37-228(3) and after the complete termination of its contribution and expenditure activity during an election cycle.

(10)For the purposes of this section:

(a)a candidate participates in an election by attempting to secure nomination or election to an office that appears on the ballot; and

(b)a political committee or a joint fundraising committee participates in an election by receiving a contribution or making an expenditure.

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