Effective July 1, 2022, candidates and PACs are REQUIRED, in addition to other reports required to be filed with the Registry of Election Finance by Tennessee’s campaign finance statutes, to report to the Registry or the county election commission, whichever is required by T.C.A. § 2-10-105(a) and (b), detailed information on certain defined contributions and expenditures incurred “[d]uring the period beginning at twelve o’clock (12:00) midnight of the tenth day prior to a primary, general, runoff or special election or a referendum and extending through twelve o’clock (12:00) midnight of each election or referendum day.” The filing of a report is triggered if a contribution or expenditure equals or exceeds $5,000 in the election of a candidate for statewide office, $3,000 in the election of a candidate for the Tennessee Senate, or $1,000 in the election of any other State or local public office. Each required report “shall be filed by the end of the next business day following the day on which the contribution or expenditure to be reported is received or made.” Any report filed with the Registry “must be posted on the website of the registry as soon as practicable.” Reports filed with a local election commission “must be posted on the website of the commission as soon as practicable, if the commission otherwise posts campaign finance reports.” (Emphasis added). Senate Bill 1005/House Bill 1201.

Registry staff is developing forms to be used to report the above information and working with the State of Tennessee’s Information Technology (“IT”) Department to place these forms on the Registry’s website. Registry staff hopes to have these forms on the Registry’s website by July 1, 2022, as well as have in place by then an electronic process for reporting this information. However, if that electronic process is not completed by July 1, 2022, then Registry staff will require the form to be scanned and emailed to the Registry at a designated email address and once received, the Registry will place the completed form on the Registry’s website. The form will be required to be updated by the filing organization, if necessary, in the same manner the form was originally sent to the Registry.

All inquiries regarding this matter may be sent to General Counsel Lauren Topping, via email at Lauren.topping@tn.gov or by phone at 615-253-5370.Registry staff will act expeditiously to respond to all such inquiries.