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Campaign Finance Reports & Information
| All Elected Officers and Candidates with Active Committees must file a |
Year-End Campaign Finance Report by Tuesday January 20, 2026 |
The Campaign Finance Law (Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 55) governs the financing of political campaigns in the Commonwealth at the State, county, district, and municipal levels. Campaign Finance Reports for the Town of Belmont's Town-wide elected officials and Local Ballot Question Committees are filed with the Belmont Town Clerk, following the requirements of the Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF).
Town Party Committee filings are made directly to the OCPF.
Any questions about the specifics of filing (receipts, expenditures, liabilities, in-kind contributions, etc.) should be directed to:
Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance
McCormack State Office Building
1 Ashburton Place, Room 411
Boston, MA 02108
Phone: 617-979-8300
Email OCPF
Massachusetts OCPF Website
Reporting Campaign Finances with the Town Clerk
| Candidates Running for Town-Wide Elected Office | Form to File |
|---|---|
| Statement of Organization of Candidate Committee | M101 |
| Municipal Campaign Finance Report | M102 |
| Municipal Campaign Finance Report (No Financial Activity) | M102-0 |
| Statement of Candidate Not Raising or Expending Campaign Funds | M109 |
| Amendment to Campaign Finance Report | 102A |
| Change of Treasurer/Acceptance of Office by New Treasurer | T101 |
| Change of Purpose (New Municipal Office Sought) | 101P |
| Itemization of Reimbursements Form | R1 |
| Change of Purpose (Local office to State office) | Instructions here |
Reports for Town-wide office are filed on a periodic schedule, eight days before an election (pre-election) and 30 days afterward (post-election). Year-end reports are also filed for active candidate and ballot question committees, due on January 20.
Reports will not be accepted unless they contain the signature of the candidate and, if applicable, the treasurer.
In lieu of multiple M102-0 Statement of No Financial Activity forms, municipal candidates may also file one M109 form for their pre & post election filing requirements.
The M109 form is used for the convenience of a candidate and the Town Clerk's Office to eliminate the requirement to file periodic campaign finance reports during an election year.
Update as of December 2025:
The M109 form may now be used as a single filing for Pre-Election, Post-Election and Year End (new) requirements as long as the following 5 criteria are met:
- The candidate has not received any contributions;
- The candidate has not made any expenditures; including with their own funds or personal credit cards;
- The candidate has not incurred any obligations (liabilities);
- The candidate does not have a campaign fund in existence; and
- The candidate does not have a political committee.
An incumbent elected official who meets the 5 listed criteria needs only file once after Janaury 1st to meet all the filing requirements.
From the OCPF website:
OCPF Note of Clarification:
This form is designed for the convenience of candidates and local election officials on the municipal level, for those candidates who have no financial activity. By filing this report, usually in January, the candidate is making a declaration that there will be no financial activity in the calendar year in which it is filed. By filing this report, the candidate is exempt from filing pre-preliminary, pre-election, post-election and year-end reports for that year, because each of those reports would show zero activity.
Dissolving a Political Committee
View OCPF's step-by-step guide to find out how and when to dissolve a political committee.
Elected Officials & Their Candidate Committees
Elected officials who hold active office may not dissolve their committees. Once they leave office, they may dissolve their committees after all outstanding liabilities have been satisfied and there are no remaining funds in their campaign accounts.
Candidates are not required to dissolve their committees upon leaving office. A candidate may leave the committee open as long as the candidate has not ruled out the option of seeking office in the future, even if the specific office and timetable are not known. The committee must continue to comply with all provisions of the campaign finance law and file regular disclosure reports. Dissolution is only required in those instances where a candidate has decided not to seek elected office in the future or upon the death of a candidate.
Settling Committee Debts and Disposing of Residual Funds
In order to dissolve, a committee must have no remaining funds or liabilities. Liabilities, including any unpaid bills or loans from a candidate, must be paid, settled, or otherwise disposed of before dissolution. The payment of any debts will be disclosed as expenditures on the final disclosure report filed by the committee.
Residual Funds may not be converted to the personal use of a candidate or any other individual. The remaining funds may only be disposed of by giving the funds to one or more of the following:
- The General Fund
- A charitable or religious organization
- A scholarship fund
- The general fund of any city or town
Those unsure whether a planned expenditure of residual funds complies with the legal standard should contact OCPF.
Filing a Dissolution Report
Dissolution is accomplished by filing a final CPF M102 campaign finance report (PDF) detailing the disposition of funds and liabilities and checking the box marked "Dissolution" as well as the appropriate type of report (8 days preceding, 30 days after, or year-end report).
The reporting period for this report will begin the day after the last campaign finance report was filed and will end on the date of filing.
Forming a Ballot Question Committee
| Ballot Question Committees | Form to Use |
|---|---|
| Statement of Organization of Ballot Question Committee | CPF M101 BQ (PDF) |
| Pre/Post Election Filing and Dissolution | CPF M102 (PDF) |
| Amending Receipts, Expenditures, or Balances | CPF M102A (PDF) |
| Itemized Reimbursement (in excess of $50) | CPF R1 (PDF) |
| Ballot Question Expenditures by Corporation, Organization, or Individual | CPF M22 (PDF) |
Municipal ballot question committees are organized to support or oppose questions locally. A ballot question committee should be formed if two or more individuals or entities pool resources to support or oppose a ballot question.
Getting Started
- Organize with an M101 BQ form (PDF). The form is filed with the Town Clerk's office. The ballot question committee will need a treasurer and a chair. The treasurer can also be the chair, but cannot be an appointed public employee.
- Open a standard checking account to deposit contributions. You will need an EIN from the IRS to open a bank account. The OCPF has provided a 4-minute tutorial video.
- Deposit contributions into the committee bank account and track the names and addresses of each donor. If a contribution is $200 or more, and provided by an individual, his or her occupation and employer is also required.
More Information is available on the OCPF website.
Public Officials in support/opposition for a ballot question: Review Interpretive Bulletin IB-92-02 (PDF).
Ballot Question Filings by Individuals
Any individual that spends individually an aggregate of $250 or more (separate from any ballot question campaign committee), to influence the outcome of a ballot question on a municipal election ballot must file a CPF M-22 campaign finance report (PDF) with the Town Clerk. The deadlines are 8 days prior to the election, 30 days after the election, and yearly by January 20.
Ballot Question Filings by Corporations
Any corporation that has expended any money or anything of value, or promised to do so, in order to influence or affect the vote on any question submitted to voters at a city or town election must file Form CPF M-22 (PDF) with the Town Clerk. The deadlines are 8 days prior to the election, 30 days after the election, and yearly by January 20th. The M-22 form is not required for monetary or in-kind contributions made directly to ballot question committees.
Dissolving a Ballot Question Committee
By law, ballot question committees must dissolve after the final determination of the question at the polls. A committee may remain open after an election in certain limited circumstances, such as a question that is defeated in a town election but is promptly re-voted at a subsequent election.