DEPARTMENT OF STATE  
ELECTIONS & CAMPAIGN FINANCE  
CAMPAIGN FINANCE COMMITTEES  
(By authority conferred on the secretary of state by section 15 of the Michigan campaign  
finance act, 1976 PA 388, MCL 169.215)  
R 168.301 Definitions.  
Rule 1. (1) As used in these rules:  
(a) “Act” means the Michigan campaign finance act, 1976 PA 388, MCL 169.201 to  
169.282.  
(b) “Asset” means the funds of a committee and any goods and services purchased with  
committee funds and in-kind contributions of goods or services.  
(c) “Department” means the department of state, bureau of elections.  
(d) “Formation” in the context of when a committee is formed, means when a treasurer  
is selected, a depository is selected, and all information required to complete the statement  
of organization form is available.  
(e) “Third-party contribution platform” means any organization that accepts donations  
from individual donors who identify campaigns or issues that the individual donors wish  
to support and who pay money to the organization for purposes of earmarking the  
individual donor’s donations for support of the identified campaign or issue and the  
organization delivers the donations to the identified campaigns or issues after deducting a  
processing or similar fee that it retains. Examples of third-party contribution platforms  
include, but are not limited to, the following:  
(i) ActBlue.  
(ii) WinRed.  
(iii) GoFundMe.  
(f) “Record keeper” means an individual designated by a committee on the statement of  
organization as responsible for the committee’s record keeping, report preparation, or  
report filing and who keeps detailed accounts, records, bills, and receipts as required to  
substantiate the information contained in any statement or report required to be filed under  
the act.  
(2) The terms defined in the act have the same meaning when used in these rules.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.302 Record keeper.  
Rule 2. (1) A record keeper of a committee can be any individual, including a candidate.  
(2) A record keeper cannot be a company or a firm.  
(3) A record keeper may sign the committee’s campaign statements in place of the  
committee treasurer.  
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(4) Judicial participation as a record keeper is governed by the Michigan Code of Judicial  
Conduct.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.303 Committee treasurer; appointment.  
Rule 3. (1) A committee shall appoint a treasurer before filing a statement of organization.  
(2) Judicial participation as a treasurer is governed by the Michigan Code of Judicial  
Conduct.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.304 Judicial appointments.  
Rule 4. (1) Except as provided in subrule (3), on the day an appointed judge takes the  
oath of office, the appointed judge becomes a candidate as defined by section 3 of the act,  
MCL 169.203, due to holding elective office.  
(2) As a candidate, the appointed judge shall do both of the following:  
(a) Form a candidate committee within 10 days of taking the oath of office as provided  
in section 21 of the act, MCL 169.221.  
(b) Register the committee by filing a statement of organization within 10 days of  
forming the candidate committee as provided in section 24 of the act, MCL 169.224.  
(3) An appointed judge who takes the oath of office but is constitutionally or legally  
barred from seeking reelection does not become a candidate.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.305 Statement of organization; registration requirement and filing.  
Rule 5. (1) All committees shall register with the appropriate filing official using the  
statement of organization form designated by the department for that committee type.  
(2) Original statements of organization must be submitted to the filing official bearing the  
handwritten signatures of the committee treasurer and, for a candidate committee, the  
candidate as required by sections 18 and 18a of the act, MCL 169.218 and 169.218a.  
(3) Committees that file with the state access the original statement of organization form  
through the department’s electronic filing and internet disclosure system.  
(4) A committee supporting a candidate for federal office and a candidate for office in  
this state shall file a statement of organization for the committee of the candidate for office  
in this state.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.306 Candidate committee statement of organization; who shall sign.  
Rule 6. (1) The candidate and the treasurer shall sign the candidate committee’s statement  
of organization.  
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(2) The record keeper shall sign the candidate committee’s statement of organization if  
the candidate committee is using a record keeper.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.307 Other committee types statement of organization; who shall sign.  
Rule 7. (1) The treasurer shall sign the committee’s statement of organization.  
(2) The record keeper shall sign the committee’s statement of organization if the  
committee is using a record keeper.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.308 Statement of organization; designation of committee name.  
Rule 8. (1) A statement of organization, filed by a committee that is commonly known  
by initials only, must state the full name of the committee. After the statement of  
organization is filed, filing of reports and amendments may designate the name of the  
committee by initials only.  
(2) A committee shall have a unique name and shall not use the same name as an existing  
committee. A committee has the same name if it has insufficient distinguishing features  
including, but not limited to, differentiation based only on a numeral or letter.  
(3) As used in this rule, “existing committee” does not include a committee that has been  
dissolved.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.309 Statement of organization; receipt; acknowledgment; identification  
number.  
Rule 9. On receipt of a statement of organization, the filing official shall assign an  
identification number to the filing committee, acknowledging receipt of the filing, and  
notify the committee of the identification number. The identification number must be  
entered by the committee on each page of the subsequent statements or reports filed and  
on communications concerning statements or reports.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.310 Amendments to statement of organization.  
Rule 10. (1) If there is a change to 1 or more of the items on the statement of organization,  
the committee is required to report the change or changes to the committee’s filing official  
by filing an amended statement of organization no later than the due date of the next  
campaign statement filing deadline.  
(2) Committees that file with the state access the form for amending a statement of  
organization through the department’s electronic filing and internet disclosure system.  
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(3) Committees that file with the state shall use the department’s electronic filing and  
internet disclosure system to amend a statement of organization if the committee received  
or expended $5,000.00 or more in the preceding calendar year or expects to receive or  
expend $5,000.00 or more in the current calendar year.  
(4) If an amendment to a statement of organization changes the committee treasurer or  
record keeper, the committee shall submit handwritten signatures of the new treasurer or  
record keeper to the department.  
(5) Committees that file at the county level shall file any amendment to a statement of  
organization in the manner instructed by the county consistent with section 18a of the act,  
MCL 169.218a.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.311 Committee treasurer; vacancy.  
Rule 11. (1) A vacancy in the role of committee treasurer is created by death, resignation,  
or removal from office of the appointing authority.  
(2) A committee treasurer who has resigned or who has otherwise ceased to act as  
committee treasurer shall notify the filing official of that fact in writing.  
(3) The committee shall appoint a new treasurer before it may accept contributions or  
make expenditures as required by section 21 of the act, MCL 169.221.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.312 Death of candidate; candidate committees.  
Rule 12. (1) If the death of a candidate creates a vacancy in the role of committee treasurer  
and the committee also has a record keeper the committee record keeper shall attempt to  
identify next of kin or an authorized representative, such as the executor of the estate or  
legal counsel, to work with the filing official to dissolve the committee.  
(2) If the death of a candidate creates a vacancy in the role of committee treasurer and the  
committee does not have a record keeper or the record keeper is unable to identify an  
appropriate individual, the filing official may identify next of kin or an authorized  
representative, such as the executor of the estate or legal counsel, to dissolve the committee.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.313 Independent expenditure committees; registration.  
Rule 13. (1) Independent expenditure committees, defined in section 9(2) of the act, MCL  
169.209, include what is commonly referred to as a “Super PAC,” where “PAC” is an  
acronym for political action committee.  
(2) Corporations, joint stock companies, labor unions, domestic dependent sovereigns,  
and other groups formed by 1 or more persons may use general treasury funds for  
independent expenditures.  
(3) A corporation, joint stock company, labor union, or domestic dependent sovereign  
that solicits contributions to make an independent expenditure in this state and spends or  
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receives more than $500.00 in a calendar year shall register as an independent expenditure  
committee.  
(4) A corporation, joint stock company, labor union, or domestic dependent sovereign  
that solicits contributions to make an independent expenditure in this state and spends or  
receives more than $100.00 but less than $500.00 in a calendar year is not required to  
register as an independent expenditure committee but shall file an independent expenditure  
report.  
(5) A corporation, joint stock company, labor union, or domestic dependent sovereign  
that does not solicit contributions to make an independent expenditure in this state and  
makes an independent expenditure in any amount is not required to register as an  
independent expenditure committee but shall file an independent expenditure report.  
(6) A corporation, joint stock company, labor union, or domestic dependent sovereign  
that does not solicit contributions to make an independent expenditure in this state and uses  
general treasury funds to give money to an independent expenditure committee based in  
this state or a ballot question committee is not required to register as an independent  
expenditure committee and is not required to file an independent expenditure report.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.314 Dissolution statement; eligibility.  
Rule 14. (1) A committee that determines it will no longer receive contributions or make  
expenditures may dissolve by filing a form prescribed by the department to request  
dissolution.  
(2) A dissolution must consist of a campaign statement that covers the period from the  
closing date of the last report filed to the date of dissolution and must include a statement  
as to the disposition of any residual assets and a statement disclosing the payment or  
forgiveness of any debts.  
(3) Committees that are required to file campaign statements electronically shall file a  
dissolution request campaign statement electronically.  
(4) Committees with a reporting waiver shall request dissolution using the dissolution  
campaign statement form designed by the department.  
(5) Before dissolution, a committee shall do all of the following:  
(a) Disburse all remaining assets.  
(b) Resolve any debts. Campaign committees that have outstanding debts to the  
committee itself may forgive those outstanding debts.  
(c) Pay all late filing fees in full.  
(d) File all outstanding campaign statements.  
(e) Answer all outstanding notice or notices of error or omission.  
(6) An officeholder cannot dissolve the officeholder’s candidate committee until the  
officeholder’s term of office expires or the officeholder vacates the office unless the  
officeholder is not qualified to seek reelection.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.315 Candidate committees.  
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Rule 15. After an official leaves public office and is no longer eligible for reelection or a  
candidate ends the candidate’s candidacy and wishes to dissolve the candidate’s candidate  
committee, the candidate committee shall not accept donations or make disbursements,  
except to dispose of debts already incurred.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.316 Automatic dissolution of candidate committees.  
Rule 16. (1) A filing official may automatically dissolve a candidate committee with a  
reporting waiver when an officeholder vacates office or when a candidate is defeated in the  
election if the candidate committee meets all of the eligibility criteria for dissolution as  
stated in R 168.313.  
(2) A committee that qualifies for automatic dissolution is not dissolved if the candidate  
notifies the filing official in writing that it intends to keep the committee active.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.317 Disbursement of committee assets for dissolution.  
Rule 17. (1) Unexpended candidate committee funds must be disbursed as provided by  
section 45 of the act, MCL 169.245, and R 168.367 to R 168.369. Unexpended committee  
funds for other committee types must be disbursed by any legal means, which includes  
anything the committee would have done during normal committee operations.  
(2) Assets purchased with money donated to a committee must be disbursed in 1 of the  
following ways:  
(a) Sold at fair market value. As used in this rule, “fair market value” is the price that an  
asset of like type, quality, age, and quantity would bring in a particular market at the time  
of acquisition.  
(b) Donated to a tax-exempt charity.  
(c) Transferred to another committee.  
(3) If a committee donates any of its remaining assets to a tax-exempt charity, it shall  
provide verification of the disposition to the committee’s filing official. Verification may  
be in the form of a receipt or letter or acknowledgement on the charity’s letterhead.  
(4) A public official or candidate may purchase, at fair market value, an asset that was  
purchased with money donated to a committee that the committee is selling in order to  
dissolve.  
(5) Remaining committee assets with negligible fair market value may be retained or  
disposed of by the committee in any manner the committee determines is appropriate.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.318 Administrative discretion to grant dissolution.  
Rule 18. (1) The department may approve a committee’s dissolution request if it complied  
with the conditions for dissolution set out in R 168.312 and the act at the time of its  
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dissolution request but due to delay in processing the request, the committee no longer  
meets all conditions for dissolution.  
(2) The department has discretion to waive any late filing fees as a result of not dissolving  
to allow dissolution.  
(3) The department has discretion to craft other remedies for circumstances arising after  
a dissolution request but before dissolution can take place.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.319 Third-party contribution platforms.  
Rule 19. (1) Third-party contribution platforms do not register as committees.  
(2) Committees that receive a contribution through a third-party contribution platform  
shall report the contribution as being received from the individual who sent the money  
using the third-party contribution platform.  
(3) Committees reporting contributions received through a third-party contribution  
platform shall report the full amount of the contribution received from the individual.  
(4) Committees shall separately report any funds paid to or retained by the third-party  
contribution platform as direct expenditures.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.320 Applicability.  
Rule 20. (1) R 168.321 to R 168.324 govern solicitations of contributions by, and  
campaign contribution limits on, political committees and independent committees  
established by a corporation, joint stock company, domestic dependent sovereign, or labor  
organization, including a parent, subsidiary, branch, division, department, or local unit of  
a corporation, joint stock company, domestic dependent sovereign, or labor organization,  
under the act.  
(2) All contributions made by a political committee or an independent committee that is  
established by any corporation, joint stock company, domestic dependent sovereign, or  
labor organization, including any parent, subsidiary, branch, division, department, or local  
unit thereof, is considered to be made by a single independent committee.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.321 Contribution limitations.  
Rule 21. (1) All affiliated political committees share a single contribution limitation for  
purposes of section 52 of the act, MCL 169.252.  
(2) All affiliated independent committees share a single contribution limitation for  
purposes of section 52 of the act, MCL 169.252.  
(3) All affiliated political committees and independent committees share a single  
contribution limitation for purposes of section 52 of the act, MCL 169.252.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
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R 168.322 Affiliated organizations.  
Rule 22. (1) All political committees and independent committees established, financed,  
maintained, or controlled by the same corporation, joint stock company, domestic  
dependent sovereign, or labor organization, including a parent, subsidiary, branch,  
division, department, or local unit of the corporation, company, organization, are affiliated.  
“Local unit” may include, in appropriate cases, a franchise, licensee, or state or regional  
association.  
(2) Affiliated committees sharing a single contribution limitation include all of the  
committees established, directed, controlled, or financially supported by 1 of the following  
entities:  
(a) A single for profit corporation or joint stock company, including its subsidiaries.  
(b) A single national or international union, including its subordinate organizations, such  
as local unions, branches, divisions, or departments. “Subordinate organizations” does not  
include an independent labor organization that is voluntarily associated with another  
independent labor organization.  
(c) An organization of national or international unions, including all of its state and local  
central bodies.  
(d) A non-profit corporation, including trade or professional associations and related state  
and local entities of the corporation.  
(e) A domestic dependent sovereign.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
R 168.323 Hearings.  
Rule 23. (1) A corporation, joint stock company, domestic dependent sovereign, labor  
organization, or committee that is aggrieved by the application of section 52(10) of the act,  
MCL 169.252, or R 168.321 or R 168.322 may request a hearing to determine if the  
grievant is affiliated with another corporation, joint stock company, domestic dependent  
sovereign, labor organization, or committee. A request for hearing must be filed with the  
Department of State, Bureau of Elections, 430 West Allegan Street, Lansing, Michigan  
48918.  
(2) A request for hearing must be made in writing and include a statement of the grounds  
for appeal and a clear and concise statement of the facts and law relied on and the relief  
sought. The request must include full and complete copies of each constitution, charter,  
bylaw, contract, regulation, accounting procedure, fee structure, and other document  
bearing on the organizational subordination or independence of the corporation, joint stock  
company, labor organization, or committee requesting the hearing.  
(3) The hearing must be conducted in accordance with the procedures in contested cases  
set forth in chapter 4 of the administrative procedures act, 1969 PA 306, MCL 24.271 to  
24.288.  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
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R 168.324 Final decisions.  
Rule 24. If a hearing is requested under R 168.323, the bureau of elections shall issue a  
final decision within 60 days after it receives the request. If the person requesting the  
hearing seeks and is granted an adjournment, then the 60-day period for issuing a final  
decision must be extended by the number of days that the hearing is adjourned. The 60-  
day period only applies if a complete request for a hearing has been received under R  
168.323(2).  
History: 2026 MR 11, Eff. June 15, 2026.  
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;