ECIElection Campaign-Finance Index

The section explicitly codifies contribution limits in statute, specifying dollar amounts ($6,000 per entity, $24,000 aggregate) and defining the scope (per election cycle, directly or indirectly). The limits are set by the legislature in statutory text rather than delegated to administrative discretion, satisfying the procedural requirement that contribution-limit frameworks be grounded in law.

“a person may not, either directly or indirectly, in an election cycle make aggregate contributions in excess of: (1) $6,000 to any one campaign finance entity; or (2) $24,000 to all campaign finance entities”

Maryland Election Law § 13-306 comprehensively codifies independent-expenditure rules in statute, including registration thresholds ($5,000), reporting requirements ($10,000 triggers), enumerated report contents (donor identity, amounts, dates, candidate/issue support), filing deadlines (48 hours), and registered-agent requirements ($50,000+). The rules are explicit, exhaustive, and statutorily grounded rather than delegated to administrative discretion.

“Within 48 hours after a person makes aggregate independent expenditures of $5,000 or more in an election cycle for campaign material that is a public communication, the person shall file a registration form with the State Board.”

The statute explicitly addresses anonymous contributions from raffle/spin/chance sales and defines their treatment: they are permitted under specific conditions (individual sales capped at $2, aggregate event proceeds capped at $1,500/day, total per-election capped at $2,500) and must be reported as a lump sum with attendance records. Subsection (c) provides a clear disposition for excess amounts: donate to charity or identify contributors. This creates a defined statutory framework for anonymous-contribution handling.

“a political committee may accept contributions received from the sale of a spin or chance or a raffle ticket, and need not identify the individual contributor on its campaign finance reports, if: (1) the account book of the political committee includes: (i) the net amount received by the political committee from the raffle, spin, or chance at the fundraising event at which the sale was made; and (ii) the name and address of each person who attended the event; (2) no spin or chance is sold at the event for more than $2; (3) the net income of the sponsoring political committee from spins and chances at the event does not exceed $1,500 in a 24–hour period; (4) the total receipts of the sponsoring political committee from spins and chances in that election do not exceed $2,500”

The statute explicitly defines disclosure thresholds for small-denomination raffle and chance contributions: individual spins/chances capped at $2, net income per event capped at $1,500, and total election receipts capped at $2,500. Below these thresholds, individual contributors need not be identified; above them, identification is required. The thresholds are enumerated in statute, not delegated to regulation.

“a political committee may accept contributions received from the sale of a spin or chance or a raffle ticket, and need not identify the individual contributor on its campaign finance reports, if: (1) the account book of the political committee includes: (i) the net amount received by the political committee from the raffle, spin, or chance at the fundraising event at which the sale was made; and (ii) the name and address of each person who attended the event; (2) no spin or chance is sold at the event for more than $2; (3) the net income of the sponsoring political committee from spins and chances at the event does not exceed $1,500 in a 24–hour period; (4) the total receipts of the sponsoring political committee from spins and chances in that election do not exceed $2,500”

The section enumerates a comprehensive statutory filing schedule with specific, calculable deadlines tied to elections (primary, general) and calendar dates (third Wednesday in January, last Tuesday in August, etc.). The schedule is enumerated exhaustively for different entity types (ballot issue committees, continuing political committees, candidate campaign committees) and special circumstances, providing clear procedural rules without delegating deadline-setting to regulatory discretion.

“a campaign finance entity shall file campaign finance reports as follows: (1) in the gubernatorial election year only, except for a ballot issue committee, on or before the third Tuesday in April, if the campaign finance entity did not file the annual campaign finance report specified under subsection (b)(2) of this section on the immediately preceding third Wednesday in January; (2) except for a ballot issue committee, on or before the fifth Tuesday immediately preceding each primary election; (3) except for a ballot issue committee, on or before the second Friday immediately preceding a primary election; (4) on or before the last Tuesday in August immediately preceding a general election; (5) for a ballot issue committee only, on or before the fourth Friday immediately preceding a general election; (6) on or before the second Friday immediately preceding a general election; and (7) on or before the second Tuesday after a general election.”

Maryland Md. Election Law § 13-221(a)(2) requires collection of contributor name and address as mandatory fields in account books. Section § 13-221(a)(3) further requires treasurers to record occupation and employer of contributors who give $500+ cumulatively during an election cycle, with the State Board providing notice and enforcement mechanisms for compliance. This satisfies the full identity disclosure requirement (name, address, occupation, employer) for significant contributions.

“the name and address of the person from whom the asset was received or to whom the expenditure was made”

The section mandates public access to campaign-finance filings during board office hours, satisfying the basic transparency requirement. However, it does not specify online accessibility or a defined timeframe for posting filings to the internet—only physical inspection during business hours. DISC.4 requires both online access AND a defined posting deadline, neither of which is statutorily established here.

“Campaign finance reports shall be open for public inspection during the regular office hours of the board that retains them.”

The section codifies both criminal and civil penalties in statute with specified amounts. Criminal violations are defined as misdemeanors with fines up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment up to 1 year. Civil violations are subject to penalties not exceeding $5,000. The statute also establishes a procedural framework for civil citation, District Court adjudication, and distribution of penalties to the Fair Campaign Financing Fund.

“Except as otherwise expressly provided in this subtitle, a person who knowingly and willfully violates a provision of this title is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $25,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 1 year or both. §13–604. (a) (1) A person who violates a provision of this title without knowing that the act is illegal shall pay a civil penalty in accordance with subsections (b) through (g) of this section. (2) The penalty imposed under this section may not exceed $5,000.”

No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: Section § 13-227 establishes transfer limits and exemptions but contains no provisions addressing the structure, appointment, independence, or political protection of any enforcement body. The criterion requires statutory specification of multi-branch appointment and in-cycle political insulation; this section deals exclusively with substantive transfer rules and affiliation definitions.

No matching sections in corpus.

No matching sections in corpus.

The statute comprehensively addresses indirect foreign-source channels by requiring disclosure of foreign-national ownership, investment, or control of election service providers—explicitly capturing pass-through entities and corporate structures. The definition of 'foreign national' includes corporations and organizations organized under foreign laws or with principal place of business abroad, enabling tracing of indirect ownership. The requirement applies at contract award and for material changes throughout contract duration, supported by a defined enforcement mechanism (State Administrator termination authority) and a mandatory notification procedure to appropriate persons.

“The State Board may not approve a contract with an election service provider unless the contract includes a clause requiring the election service provider to provide the State Board notice of: (1) any ownership of or investment in the election service provider or control of the election service provider by a foreign national at the time of the award of the contract; and (2) any material change in any ownership of or investment in the election service provider or control of the election service provider by a foreign national at any time for the duration of the contract.”

No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: Section 1-101 is a definitions section that establishes terminology for Maryland election law (e.g., 'absentee ballot,' 'candidate,' 'contribution'). It does not contain any statutory procedure requiring campaign committees to verify that contributors are not foreign-source, nor does it establish verification methods, standards, or enforcement mechanisms. Foreign-source verification procedures, if they exist in Maryland law, would be found in substantive provisions governing contributions and candidate committees, not in this definitional section.

The statute explicitly requires campaign finance entities to retain account books and related records for a defined period (10 years or 2 years after final report filing, whichever is earlier). This satisfies the core procedural element of a statutory record-retention mandate with specific, enumerated timelines.

“The account books and related records of a campaign finance entity shall be preserved until the earlier of: (1) 10 years after the creation of an account book entry or related record; or (2) 2 years after the campaign finance entity files a final campaign finance report under Subtitle 3 of this title.”

No section in the FTS-surfaced candidates satisfies this criterion. Best signal: This section (§ 9-102) addresses voting system certification, accessibility, and procedural requirements for election administration. It contains no provisions regarding campaign-committee records, audit requirements, or campaign-finance oversight. The criterion TRACE.2 concerns mandatory audit procedures for campaign committees; this section concerns only voting equipment and ballot procedures.