Campaign Finance

Electronic Campaign Finance Filing

The Campaign Finance system allows you to:
  • Submit campaign finance report filings electronically for your campaign or committee
  • Sign-up for campaign finance notifications
  • Browse existing campaign finance filings and download data for those submitted electronically

If you plan to file electronically, you will need to submit an Electronic Filing Authorization Form before you can start filing.

Paper Filing

Although paper filing is allowed, candidates and committees are strongly encouraged to sign-up for an electronic campaign finance filing user account.  Other methods to file are email, FAX, hand delivery and postal mail.

Reporting Periods and Deadlines

Reporting typically starts 6 months prior to the election.  At this time, there are no scheduled elections that would require campaign finance filings.

However, elected officials and open campaign finance accounts must file an annual report by April 30th each year.

Campaign Disclosure Requirements Summary

The City of Colorado Springs requires disclosure of information relating to the private business interests of candidates and disclosure of information related to campaign finance.  Candidates, candidate committees, issue committees, and political committees must file the disclosure statements.

The filing requirements are summarized below.  However, candidates and committees must comply with the City Code section 5.2.101 through section 5.2.105 as well as City Code section 5.2.201 through section 5.2.211.  See the City Code for the specific requirements, as the following information serves only as a general guide to the disclosure requirements.  Additional information is also available on our Campaign Finance Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.

Campaign Finance Disclosure Requirements

Although there are no limits on the amount of contributions to a candidate or committee or the source of those contributions, candidates, candidate committees, political committees, and issue committees are required to disclose periodically a “Report of Contributions and Expenditures.”

The threshold that triggers the requirement to file for issue committees is $200.  Once reporting is required, committees must report all contributions and expenditures. Contributions and expenditures of $20 or greater must be itemized.  Specific information about each contributor must be reported. Loans must also be reported.

If you are not sure whether a contribution must be reported, it is advisable to report it.  There is no harm in over reporting.