Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 7 - ELECTIONS (§§ 7-1-101 — 7-11-303) › Chapter 6 - CAMPAIGN PRACTICES (§§ 7-6-101 — 7-6-233) › Subchapter 2 - CAMPAIGN FINANCING (§§ 7-6-201 — 7-6-233) › Section 7-6-216 - Registration and reports by exploratory committees

(a)
(1)
An exploratory committee shall register with the appropriate filing office within fifteen (15) days after receiving contributions during a calendar year which, in the aggregate, exceed five hundred dollars ($500).
(2)
(A)
For a state or district office, the place of filing shall be the Secretary of State's office.
(B)
For a county, municipal, township, or school district office, the place of filing shall be the county clerk's office.
(3)
Registration shall be on forms provided by the Secretary of State and the contents therein shall be verified by an affidavit of an officer of the committee.
(b)
An exploratory committee shall disclose on the registration form the name, address, and, where available, phone number of the committee and each of its officers. It shall also disclose the individual person who, upon becoming a candidate, is intended to receive campaign contributions from the committee.
(c)
Within thirty (30) days of the end of each month, an exploratory committee shall file a report with the appropriate filing office indicating:
(1)
The total amount of contributions received during the filing period;
(2)
The name and address of each person who has made a contribution which, in the aggregate, exceeds two hundred dollars ($200), along with the contributor's principal place of business, employer, occupation, and the amount contributed; and
(3)
The total amount of expenditures made and, for each single expenditure that exceeds one hundred dollars ($100), an itemization, including the amount of the expenditure, the name and address of the person to whom the expenditure was made, and the date the expenditure was made.
(d)
(1)
(A)
The first report shall be filed for the month in which the committee files its registration. The final report shall be filed within thirty (30) days after the end of the month in which the committee either transfers its contributions to a candidate's campaign or no longer accepts contributions.
(B)
The reports required by this section shall be filed in electronic form through the official website of the Secretary of State.
(C)
The Arkansas Ethics Commission shall approve the format used by the Secretary of State for the filing of exploratory reports in electronic form to ensure that all required information is requested.
(D)
The official website of the Secretary of State shall allow for searches of exploratory committee report information filed in electronic form.
(2)
An exploratory committee under this section may file reports in paper form under this section if:
(A)
The exploratory committee does not have access to the technology necessary to submit reports in electronic form; and
(B)
Submitting reports in electronic form would constitute a substantial hardship for the exploratory committee.
(3)
The committee shall not accept contributions after the filing of a final report.
Amended by Act 2023, No. 753,§ 8, eff. 8/1/2023.
Amended by Act 2017, No. 616,§ 3, eff. 1/1/2018.
Amended by Act 2013, No. 1126,§ 12, eff. 8/16/2013.
Init. Meas. 1990, No. 1, § 6; Acts 1999, No. 553, § 18; 2001, No. 1839, § 8; 2007, No. 221, § 9; 2009, No. 473, § 6; 2011, No. 721, § 10.