§ 21-A §1015 — Limitations on contributions and expenditures

Maine § 21-A §1015

• Jurisdiction: Maine
• Title 21-A: ELECTIONS
• Ch. 13: CAMPAIGN REPORTS AND FINANCES

Text

1.
Contributions by individuals.
An individual may not make contributions to a candidate in support of the candidacy of one person aggregating more than $1,950 in any election for a gubernatorial candidate, more than $475 for a legislative candidate, more than $575 for a candidate for municipal office and more than $975 in any election for any other candidate. This limitation does not apply to contributions in support of a candidate by that candidate or that candidate's spouse or domestic partner. Beginning December 1, 2024, contribution limits in accordance with this subsection are adjusted every 2 years based on the Consumer Price Index as reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and rounded to the nearest amount divisible by $25. The commission shall post the current contribution limit and the amount of the next adjustment and the date that it will become effective on its publicly accessible website and include this information with any publication to be used as a guide for candidates.
2.
Contributions by party committees, ballot question committees and political action committees.
2-A.
Contributions by business entities.
2-B.
Committees; corporations; associations.
A political committee, political action committee, ballot question committee or other committee, firm, partnership, corporation, association or organization may not make contributions to a candidate in support of the candidacy of one person aggregating more than $1,950 in any election for a gubernatorial candidate, more than $475 for a legislative candidate, more than $575 for a candidate for municipal office and more than $975 in any election for any other candidate. Beginning December 1, 2024, contribution limits in accordance with this subsection are adjusted every 2 years based on the Consumer Price Index as reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and rounded to the nearest amount divisible by $25. The commission shall post the current contribution limit and the amount of the next adjustment and the date that it will become effective on its publicly accessible website and include this information with any publication to be used as a guide for candidates.
2-C.
Contributions by individuals to political action committees making independent expenditures.
An individual may not make contributions aggregating more than $5,000 in any calendar year to a political action committee for the purpose of making independent expenditures under section 1019‑B, subsection 1. Beginning December 1, 2024, contribution limits in accordance with this subsection are adjusted every 2 years based on the Consumer Price Index as reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and rounded to the nearest amount divisible by $25. The commission shall post the current contribution limit and the amount of the next adjustment and the date that it will become effective on its publicly accessible website and include this information with any publication to be used as a guide for candidates.
2-D.
Contributions by political action committees and business entities to political action committees making independent expenditures.
A leadership political action committee, a separate segregated fund committee, a caucus political action committee, any other political action committee or any business entity may not make contributions aggregating more than $5,000 in any calendar year to a political action committee for the purpose of making independent expenditures under section 1019‑B, subsection 1. Beginning December 1, 2024, contribution limits in accordance with this subsection are adjusted every 2 years based on the Consumer Price Index as reported by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and rounded to the nearest amount divisible by $25. The commission shall post the current contribution limit and the amount of the next adjustment and the date that it will become effective on its publicly accessible website and include this information with any publication to be used as a guide for candidates. For purposes of this subsection, "business entity" includes a firm, partnership, corporation, incorporated association, labor organization or other organization, whether organized as a for‑profit or a nonprofit entity.
3.
Aggregate contributions.
3-A.
Contributions to candidate seeking nomination by petition; primary election period.
For the purposes of contribution limits under subsections 1 and 2‑B applicable to a candidate seeking nomination by petition, "any election," when referring to a primary election, includes the period beginning on the day after the most recent general election for the office that candidate is seeking and ending on the day of the primary election for that office.
4.
Political committees; intermediaries.
For the purpose of the limitations imposed by this section, contributions made to any political committee authorized by a candidate to accept contributions on the candidate's behalf are considered to be contributions made to that candidate. If the campaign activities of a political action committee within a calendar year primarily promote or support the nomination or election of a single candidate, contributions to the committee that were solicited by the candidate are considered to be contributions made to the candidate for purposes of the limitations in this section. For purposes of this subsection, solicitation of contributions includes but is not limited to the candidate's appearing at a fundraising event organized by or on behalf of the political action committee or suggesting that a donor make a contribution to that committee.
5.
Other contributions and expenditures.
Any expenditure made by any person in cooperation, consultation or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, a candidate, a candidate's political committee or their agents is considered to be a contribution to that candidate.
6.
Prohibited expenditures.
A candidate, a treasurer, a political committee, a party or party committee, a person required to file a report under this subchapter or their authorized agents may not make any expenditures for liquor to be distributed to or consumed by voters while the polls are open on election day.
7.
Voluntary limitations on political expenditures.
A candidate may voluntarily agree to limit the total expenditures made on behalf of that candidate's campaign as specified in section 1013‑A, subsection 1, paragraph C and subsections 8 and 9.
8.
Political expenditure limitation amounts.
Total expenditures in any election for legislative office by a candidate who voluntarily agrees to limit campaign expenditures as provided in subsection 7 are as follows:
9.
Publication of list.
The commission shall publish a list of the candidates for State Representative and State Senator who have agreed to voluntarily limit total expenditures for their campaigns as provided in section 1013‑A, subsection 1, paragraph C.
10.
Business entity defined.

Legislative History

PL 1985, c. 161, §6 (NEW). PL 1989, c. 504, §§7,31 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 839, §11 (AMD). PL 1991, c. 839, §34 (AFF). IB 1995, c. 1, §11 (AMD). PL 1995, c. 384, §2 (AMD). PL 1999, c. 729, §§2,3 (AMD). PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, §§10-14 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 286, §§2, 3 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 382, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 389, §14 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 51, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 51, §3 (AFF). PL 2021, c. 274, §§4-7 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 274, §13 (AFF). PL 2021, c. 607, §1 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 607, §5 (AFF). PL 2023, c. 244, §§4-8 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 324, §9 (AMD). IB 2023, c. 4, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 181, §1 (AMD).