Campaign Finance

All campaign finance reporting can be found in the Campaign Finance System. For detailed information regarding compliance with campaign finance law, please see our Campaign Finance Guide. To see filing statuses as of the most recent period, click on Vermont 2024 Candidates and Campaign Finance.

Candidate and PAC Reporting Dates

2023

• July 1

2024

• March 15
• July 1
• August 1
• September 1
• October 1
• October 15
• November 1 (Friday before election)
• November 19 (2 weeks after general election)
• December 15 (Final Report due; PAC and parties End of Cycle Report due)

Local Candidates and Public Question Advocacy

Candidates for local office who have raised or spent $500 or more must file campaign finance reports with the Office of the Secretary of State thirty days before, ten days before, 4 days before, and two weeks after the local election. A final report is due within 40 days of the elections.

PACs and parties that have raised or spent more than $1,000 to influence a local election or support candidates in a local election must file campaign finance reports with the Office of the Secretary of State on these same dates.

Any formal or informal committee of two or more individuals or another organization (not a political party) which spends $1,000 or more for the purpose of advocating a position on a public question must file reports of its expenditures on these same dates.

Contribution Limits

There is no longer a separate limit for the Primary and General elections. All limits are the total amount that may be contributed to the candidate, PAC, or party over the entire two-year period between elections 17 V.S.A. §2941(c). Limits include a 6.4% increase for the 2024 Election Cycle under 17 V.S.A. §2905.

• Contribution to Local Candidates
• $1,120 per election cycle from a single source or PAC
• Unlimited contributions from political parties
• Contributions to State Representative Candidates
• $1,120 per election cycle from a single source or PAC
• Unlimited contributions from political parties
• Contributions to State Senate and High Bailiff
• $1,680 per election cycle from a single source or PAC
• Unlimited contributions from political parties
• Contributions to County Office Candidates
• $1,630 per election cycle from a single source or PAC
• Unlimited contributions from political parties
• Candidates for probate judge and assistant judge should also be aware of the Vermont Code of Judicial of Conduct
• Contributions to Statewide Candidates
• $4,480 per election cycle from a single source or PAC
• Unlimited contributions from political parties
• Contributions to Political Committees (PACs)
• $4,480 per election cycle from a single source or PAC
• $4,480 per election cycle from a political party
• Contributions to Political Parties
• $11,180 per election cycle from a single source or PAC
• $67,150 from a political party

NOTE - the campaign finance law no longer contains an exception to these limits for family members of a candidate. A candidate may still donate unlimited amounts to his or her own campaign, but contributions from family members must adhere to the limits described above. 17 V.S.A. § 2947

If you have questions, please email sos.campaignfinance@vermont.gov

Reporting 

All campaign finance disclosures for all entities must be filed through the online filing system, see 17 V.S.A. §2961(b). If you need to amend a previously filed paper report, please contact the Elections Division.

Candidates who do not raise or spend $500 during the election cycle and did not roll over surplus from a previous campaign, must file this form affirming they did not reach the monetary threshold. Local candidates are not required to file this form: Form for Candidates Not Raising or Spending Over $500

Reports related to the 2022 General Election

• John Lavoie- August 2022 Report
• John Lavoie- August 9, 2022 Mass Media Report

Reports Related to March 3, 2020 Annual Meeting

• City of Burlington Democratic Committee
• South Burlington School District
• VT Democratic Party

Reports Related to May 28, 2020 South Burlington School District Vote

• Citizens for an Affordable South Burlington May 24 Report

Political Action Committees in Vermont

Under Vermont law, a political action committee (PAC) is “any formal or informal committee of two or more individuals or a corporation, labor organization, public interest group, or other entity, not including a political party, which accepts contributions of $1,000.00 or more and makes expenditures of $1,000.00 or more in any two-year general election cycle for the purpose of supporting or opposing one or more candidates, influencing an election, or advocating a position on a public question in any election, and includes an independent expenditure-only political committee.” 17 V.S.A. §2901(13).

Any PAC that raises $1,000 or more and spends $1,000 or more within any two-year general election cycle must register with the Office of the Secretary of State and file all regularly required disclosure reports.

Independent Expenditure-Only PACs

Vermont law defines an independent expenditure-only PAC as “a political committee that conducts its activities entirely independent of candidates; does not give contributions to candidates, political committees, or political parties; does not make related expenditures; and is not closely related to a political party or to a political committee that makes contributions to candidates or makes related expenditures.”

Currently, contribution limits do not apply to independent expenditure-only PACs. The contribution limits will not apply to these “IE-only” PACs unless and until the final disposition of a case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit or the U.S. Supreme Court holds that limits on contributions to independent expenditure-only political committees are constitutional. Although the contribution limits do not apply to independent expenditure-only PACs, these PACs must register with the Office of the Secretary of State within 10 days of reaching the threshold and must file all regularly required disclosure reports.

Federal and Out-of-State PACs or Political Parties

Any PAC that reaches the $1,000 raising and spending threshold must register with the the Office of the Secretary of State, regardless of where the treasurer or principal place of business of the PAC or party is located. A PAC or political party with a principal place of business outside of Vermont or whose treasurer is not located in Vermont must file a statement with the Office of the Secretary of State designating a person who resides in the state as the representative for the PAC.

Since Vermont law limits contributions to political committees (PACs) to $4,080, any political committee (PAC) that receives contributions greater than $4,080 is prohibited from making contributions to Vermont candidates unless it segregates the compliant contributions for use in Vermont.

PACs Operating in Local Elections

Any PAC that has accepted contributions or made expenditures of $1,000 or more for the purpose of influencing a local election or supporting or opposing one or more candidates in a local election must register with the Office of the Secretary of State and file campaign finance reports thirty days before, ten days before, and two weeks after the local election.

Currently Registered PACs

Find registered PACs and reporting in the Campaign Finance System