MARCH 2023
NEW DISCLOSURE FEATURE: MUNICIPAL PAGES
We always try to make campaign finance data easier to find, which is why we launched municipal pages.

Users can chose a community and see campaign finance information for all incumbent officials who file with OCPF.

The page also provides links to campaign finance reports that are filed with local election officials, such as selectboard and school committee, in many communities.

Municipal pages are on OCPF's homepage, www.ocpf.us. Remember to scroll to the bottom until you see the map. You may also click here.

Here's a sample of what you'll find:
After clicking on a city or town, elected officials are displayed with campaign finance information.
Local election officials post campaign finance reports to city or town websites, when the candidate has activity of more than $1,000. These include offices such as school committee, selectboard, and, in cities with fewer than 65,000 residents, city council.
Agency Actions and Opinions
PUBLIC RESOLUTION LETTERS

The following list is a summary of agency actions issued recently by OCPF. Click the "agency actions" button below to view the full documents.
CPF-23-6: Stephen Michael Palmer, Plymouth. Did not comply (2/14/2023). Failure to designate a depository bank to disclose campaign finance activity (state representative, 2022).
REGISTER FOR OCPF ONLINE TRAINING
Local party committees exist to support candidates and promote their platforms. Click here to view local party committee reports.

Local party committee members can sign up for campaign finance training here.
No plans on running again?
You can close your account.
Former office-holders who still have active campaign accounts with OCPF can dissolve their bank accounts. Additionally, unsuccessful candidates who will not run in a future election may close their accounts.

Closing an account does not prohibit a candidate from re-opening in the future, but it does relieve the candidate from year-end filing requirements.
Checklists provide the essential information needed to start and operate a campaign finance account.
Candidates who file with local election officials frequently seek an office that files with OCPF.

A candidate who files locally, for offices such as school committee, any town office, and city council in cities with fewer than 65,000 residents, will transition to OCPF to run for an office that files with the state. 

Steps:
  • Organize with OCPF online, here. 
  • File a “change of purpose” form with OCPF, and a copy with the local election official. 
  • Submit a copy of the last campaign finance report filed locally (the M102 form) to OCPF.
  • Appoint a depository bank to file reports on behalf of the candidate. The D103 form is used to appoint a bank. Click here for a list of banks that participate in the depository system. 
  • Work with an OCPF audit team member to file a “transition in” report. This report will disclose all activity between the last report filed locally, and the date the depository bank account was opened. Tutorial. 
  • OCPF will be your primary filing location. You may also need to file paper copies of your reports locally, usually in January. Please contact OCPF to see if this applies to you.

Note 1: The account balance and any outstanding liabilities from any previous campaign will transition to the campaign for the new office sought.
Note 2: We highly recommend communicating with an OCPF auditor throughout this process.
Note 3: Out-of-pocket expenditures made by the candidate, using personal funds, are not permissible in the depository system. Candidates must deposit their personal funds into the committee account, and make expenditures using the committee debit cards and checks.
OCPF focuses on an educational theme each month. For the month of March, it's a focus on committee treasurers.

We will focus on treasurer issues on our social media platforms. Type "Treasurer2023" into the search engine at www.ocpf.us for resources.
OCPF@mass.gov / www.ocpf.us