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Limits & Thresholds

2019A Public Advocate Special Election

CONTRIBUTION LIMITS
SPENDING LIMITS
THRESHOLDS
Public Funds Payment

Contribution limits apply to all campaigns, whether or not you join the matching funds program. These limits apply for the entire election cycle. Both monetary and in-kind contributions of goods and services are subject to these limits. All candidates are prohibited from accepting contributions from corporations, LLCs, and partnerships. View a list of registered political committees for this election cycle.

New Program 
(Option A) 
Participant

Old Program 
(Option B) 
Participant

Non-Participant

$1,000

$2,550

$2,550

For more information on the new and old programs and how to join, see Join the Matching Funds Program.

If an individual contributor has business dealings with the city at the time their contribution is made, lower limits apply. Doing business contributions are not eligible for matching funds and do not count toward the threshold to receive public funds.

Doing Business Contribution Limit

$200

Access the Doing Business Database.

Program participants must observe strict spending limits. A spending limit is the maximum total amount a campaign can spend during an election cycle.

Spending Limit

$4,555,000

If a non-participant raises or spends more than half the applicable spending limit, the spending limit for all participants in that race will be increased by 50%. If a non-participant raises or spends more than three times the applicable spending limit, participants in that race will no longer be subject to a spending limit. The CFB will review disclosure statements to see if expenditure limit relief is warranted and will notify affected campaigns. Candidates may also petition the Board if they believe that a non-participating opponent has triggered expenditure limit relief. Candidates should never assume that their expenditure limit has been increased or suspended unless they receive written confirmation from the CFB.

Candidates must meet this two-part threshold, abide by the Program’s requirements, and face opposition on the ballot to qualify for public funding. Only the first $175 to $250, depending on the candidate’s program choice, of an individual New York City resident’s contribution is applied toward meeting dollar amount threshold.

Minimum Funds Raised

Minimum Number of Contributors

$62,500

500

The Program matches each dollar a New York City resident gives, up to $250, with up to eight dollars in public funds, for a maximum of $2,000 in public funds per contributor. The maximum a candidate can receive in public funds per election equals 75% of the applicable spending limit.

Program Choice

Matching Rate

Maximum Matchable
Per Contributor

Maximum Public Funds
Per Contributor

Maximum Public Funds
Per Election

New Program (Option A)

$8-to-$1

$250

$2,000

$3,416,250

Old Program (Option B)

$6-to-$1

$175

$1,050

$2,505,250

† 75% of applicable spending limit

‡ 55% of applicable spending limit

For more information on the new and old programs and how to join, see Join the Matching Funds Program.

2019A Public Funds Payment Schedule

Payment Date

Based on Valid Matching Claims Reported in Disclosure Statement(s) Up To:

January 30, 2019
(pending NYC Board of Elections hearing on independent nominating petitions on January 29, 2019)

Disclosure Statement #1 (due January 15, 2019)
Disclosure Statement #2 (due January 25, 2019)

To be determined
(potential extra payment)

Response to statement review #1-2 
with corrected invalid matching claims

February 22, 2019

Disclosure Statement #3 (due February 15, 2019)

This public funds payment schedule is tentative and subject to change. Public funds are paid only to candidates eligible for payment based on the Campaign Finance Act and CFB Rules. For more information on public funds eligibility criteria, please see Chapter 6 of the Handbook.