Who must file: ANNUAL REPORTS (Cycle 7) for 2007 must be filed by all candidates, political committees and contributing lobbyists that have not filed a termination report. For information on filing requirements, contact the Philadelphia Ethics Board at (215) 686-9450.

Filing deadline: Annual Reports are to be complete as of Monday, December 31st, 2007. The deadline for filing Annual Reports is the close of business on Thursday, January 31st, 2008.

Smart Client:  Campaign finance management and filing software called Campaign Finance Smart Client is available free of charge from the Philadelphia Records Department. The software is intended to allow campaign finance administrators to maintain contribution and expenses databases easily during the periods leading to filing deadlines and then file their required campaign finance records quickly and efficiently. The software can be downloaded from the Records Department's Campaign Finance page.

The Smart Client software contains many features to support campaign finance filing, such as the ability to maintain records from cycle to cycle and print reports for filing with the City Commissioner's office. Samples of Smart Client features:

• Maintain records from cycle to cycle and year to year
• Easily file Campaign Finance Statements and Reports
• Print reports required by City Commissioner's office
• Electronically validate Filer ID
• Print transaction Report
• Produce 24-Hour Contribution/Expenditure and Independent Expenditure Reports
• Print Affidavit

Other supported filing methods: Philadelphia law requires electronic filing of campaign finance records. Philadelphia accepts submission of campaign finance reports using the following methods:

1. Smart Client filing software;
2. submission of text files via the Philadelphia Campaign Finance filing website;
3. submission of individually-entered records via the Campaign Finance filing website;
4. submission of text files on CD delivered to the Campaign Finance customer service filing headquarters (see below) or Department of Records main office in Room 156, City Hall;
5. submission of reports using spreadsheet template available via the campaign finance website.

Training sessions:  The Records Department will conduct two group training sessions for Philadelphia campaign finance filers. These training sessions are intended to familiarize filers with methods and procedures for filing required records. The emphasis will be on use of the Smart Client software.

 

Session 1: Thursday, January 10th, 6:00 PM
Marriott Residence Inn, One East Penn Square.

 

Session 2: Friday, January 11th, 12:00 PM
Philadelphia Bar Association, 1101 Market Street.

More specifics about these training sessions will be announced.
 
Campaign finance customer service headquarters: For Cycle 7, the temporary filing headquarters will again be available for the convenience of Philadelphia filers. The filing headquarters will be located in the Marriott Residence Inn, One East Penn Square (corner of Market and Juniper, across the street from City Hall). The room will be identified on the hotel's information board, labeled "Philadelphia Campaign Finance Filing Center" and easily-accessible from the lobby.

Filers wishing to enter their records using city computers or needing assistance with any method of electronic filing are urged to come to the filing headquarters during filing week.

The filing headquarters will be open and customer service staff available from Monday, January 21st, through Friday, January 25th, and from Monday, January 28th, through Thursday, January 31st, from 9 AM until 6 PM each day. Computer workstations will be available for those filers wishing to input campaign finance records onsite.

For additional information:
For information about Pennsylvania's campaign finance filing legal requirements, please contact the Campaign Finance Division at (717) 787-5280 or via e-mail at ra-bcel@state.pa.us, or visit their website.

For questions about Philadelphia's campaign finance laws and reporting requirements, please refer to the Philadelphia Board of Ethics website or call (215) 686-9450.

For information about acceptable electronic filing methods and procedures for Philadelphia, please call the Records Department at (215) 686-2225. Check the Philadelphia Records Department's Campaign Finance website regularly for updates.