Guidance

The following resources provide campaigns with supplemental information on specific campaign-related topics. They do not replace or supersede the Campaign Finance Act, CFB Rules, or Handbook. If you have additional questions, contact your Candidate Services liaison.

2025 Elections: What Participants Need to Know about Public Funds Payments
This guidance document provides important information about the requirements and deadlines to be eligible for all pre- and post-ballot payments in the 2025 election cycle, including information about public funds withholdings and compliance issues that could make you ineligible to receive public funds. If you were a candidate in a previous election cycle, you can also access the 2021 and 2023 editions of this guidance document.

C-SMART Help
C-SMART Help provides step-by-step instructions for entering transactions, uploading documentation, running reports, and submitting disclosure statements in C-SMART. Each document is focused on a specific function and contains screenshots and descriptions.

Certified Statements of Need
This guide covers when a Certified Statement of Need is required and contains detailed instructions to help you successfully complete and submit it.

Cessation of Ongoing Disclosure
This guidance document provides information about the ongoing filing requirements and the steps candidates must take to cease ongoing disclosure with the CFB.

CFB Portal User Guide
The CFB Portal User Guide provides step-by-step instructions for creating a CFB Portal account and registering a candidate committee with the Campaign Finance Board. The guide includes how to add campaign contacts to a committee registration, how to add bank account information, completing the identity verification process and other Portal-related functions.

Childcare Expenditures Guide
Following the enactment of Local Law 196/2018, certain expenditures made by candidates for the care of children for whom they are a primary childcare provider are considered campaign-related and exempt from the applicable expenditure limit up to $20,000. This guide covers the steps you need to take to be in compliance when making these expenditures.

Consultant and Vendor Guide
This guide demonstrates best practices for the consultants and vendors that regularly work for campaigns. Use the sections in the guide to find details on the types of documentation that campaigns will request, as well as links to template and sample documents.

Contribute FAQs for Campaigns
These FAQs include instructions to help campaigns sign up for and use Contribute , the credit card contribution platform created by the CFB. Reference this resource for information on creating unique fundraising event pages, refunding credit card contributions, uploading contribution data to C-SMART, and more.

Credit Card Contributions
There are specific reporting, recordkeeping and processor requirements that must be met prior to setting up a credit card platform other than Contribute. Your credit card processor must comply with the CFB's requirements to ensure that your contributions may be matched with public funds.

Doing Business FAQ
New York City has stringent restrictions on contributions from individuals doing business with the city. Learn more about these anti-“pay to play” regulations in the FAQ.

Guide to Filing
In anticipation of the next disclosure statement filing, your campaign should regularly enter data and upload documentation to C-SMART. Use this checklist to guide you through procedures and best practices prior to filing.

Invalid Matching Claims (IMC) Codes
These codes are used by CFB auditors when evaluating a campaign’s matching funds claims. This guide provides a description of each of the invalid matching claims codes that a campaign could receive and explains how to respond to them.

Political Consultants Who Work for Both Candidates and Independent Spenders
Political consultants must be aware of potential campaign finance violations that may arise for them and their clients when they choose to work for both candidates and independent spenders simultaneously. Doing work for both types of clients can lead to violations of the Act and Rules by candidates, independent spenders, and consultants. This guidance is to provide information to consultants on when their work may cause issues for their clients and themselves.

Ranked Choice Voting — Compliance Guide
Starting in 2021, NYC will use Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in special and primary elections for local offices. This guide provides compliance information for candidates running in an RCV election.

Restrictions on the Use of Government Resources
The New York City Charter contains provisions restricting the use of government resources by public servants.

Transfers
A transfer is an exchange of funds between two committees authorized by the same candidate. Along with the required documentation, transfers and their associated costs must be reported with the next disclosure statement due after the transfer takes place.

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