CHAPTER 453
H.P. 964 - L.D. 1310
An Act To Improve the Clean Election Option for Gubernatorial Candidates
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2001, c. 465, §5, is further amended to read:
8. Amount of fund distribution. By July 1, 1999 of the effective date of this Act, and at least every 4 years after that date, the commission shall determine the amount of funds to be distributed to participating candidates based on the type of election and office as follows.
A. For contested legislative primary elections, the amount of revenues to be distributed is the average amount of campaign expenditures made by each candidate during all contested primary election races for the immediately preceding 2 primary elections, as reported in the initial filing period subsequent to the primary election, for the respective offices of Governor, State Senate and State House of Representatives.
B. For uncontested legislative primary elections, the amount of revenues distributed is the average amount of campaign expenditures made by each candidate during all uncontested primary election races, or for contested races if that amount is lower, for the immediately preceding 2 primary elections, as reported in the initial filing period subsequent to the primary election, for the respective offices of Governor, State Senate and State House of Representatives.
C. For contested legislative general elections, the amount of revenues distributed is the average amount of campaign expenditures made by each candidate during all contested general election races for the immediately preceding 2 general elections, as reported in the initial filing period subsequent to the general election for, the respective offices of Governor, State Senate and State House of Representatives.
D. For uncontested legislative general elections, the amount of revenues to be distributed from the fund is 40% of the amount distributed to a participating candidate in a contested general election.
E. For gubernatorial primary elections, the amount of revenues distributed is $200,000 per candidate in the primary election.
F. For gubernatorial general elections, the amount of revenues distributed is $400,000 per candidate in the general election.
If the immediately preceding two election cycles do not contain sufficient electoral data, the commission shall use information from the most recent applicable elections. For only the initial computations under subsections A to C that are conducted by July 1, 1999, the commission shall reduce the amounts to be distributed by 25%.
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§9, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §17, is amended to read:
9. Matching funds. When any campaign, finance or election report shows that the sum of a candidate's expenditures or obligations, or funds raised or borrowed, whichever is greater, alone or in conjunction with independent expenditures reported under section 1019, exceeds the distribution amount under subsection 8, the commission shall issue immediately to any opposing Maine Clean Election Act candidate an additional amount equivalent to the reported excess. Matching funds are limited to 2 times the amount originally distributed under subsection 8, paragraph A or, C, E or F, whichever is applicable.
Effective September 13, 2003, unless otherwise indicated.
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