Every political committee must have both a chairman and a treasurer in order to accept contributions or make expenditures. The same person, including the candidate, may serve as both. The treasurer of a political committee is responsible for keeping the records and filing all required statements and reports. The Illinois Campaign Financing Law (10 ILCS 5/9-1 et seq, Article 9 of Chapter 10 of the Election Code) sets forth the duties and responsibilities of the treasurer.
This brochure has been designed to help you easily determine if there is a need for you to comply with the Illinois Campaign Financing Act. The act applies to all candidates or political committees as defined in the following sections.
The Guide for Pollwatchers is designed for pollwatchers and others who want to become more familiar with the basic responsibilities of pollwatchers and the role they play in the election process. It also includes information concerning authorized individuals in the polling place, the differences between voter assistance and instruction, challenging a person’s right to vote, illegal Election Day activities, precinct registration, and voting in nursing homes. Although pollwatchers may represent particular candidates, political parties or qualified organization of citizens, their principal interest is in the conduct of a fair and honest election.
Illinois Campaign Disclosure law includes many requirements for reporting contributions and expenditures. This guide explains the obligations of political committees under the Illinois Campaign Disclosure Act (PA 78-1183, effective September 3, 1974). Political committees, candidates holding or seeking elective office, as well as groups supporting or opposing candidates or referenda will find this guide a useful reference tool.
IDIS stands for Illinois Disclosure Information System. It is the electronic filing system provided free of charge by the State Board of Elections for use by political committees filing Illinois campaign disclosure reports. The most current version of IDIS is IDIS v3.0. This is a web-based program, allowing users to prepare and file their reports electronically without downloading filing software to their computers. The program can be accessed from multiple computers, and more than one person can enter data at the same time. Committee data is stored on the Board’s secure server, and is automatically backed up and saved.