A-1 report – A report of any contribution of $1000 or more shall be filed with the Board within 5 business days after receipt, except that the report shall be filed within 2 business days after receipt if (i) the contribution is received 30 or fewer days before the date of an election and (ii) the political committee supports or opposes a candidate or public question on the ballot at that election or makes expenditures in excess of $500 on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate, candidates, a public question, or public questions on the ballot at that election.

Affiliate– Any organization with which a political committee has significant financial ties and which is presumed to be represented in its interests by the political committee.

Anything of value– Includes all things, services, or goods, regardless of whether they may be valued in monetary terms according to ascertainable market value.

Asset – An item of property, other than cash or services, of whatever kind, tangible or intangible, which has either a fair market or salvage value in excess of $150. When a political committee files a final report, it must dispose of any remaining committee assets by either donating or selling them.

Asset schedule – Upon termination of the filing status of a political committee, any asset still in its possession must be disposed of either by sale or by donation. Disposition of all assets shall be shown on the final D-2 report filed by a political committee. The Asset Schedule shall show a description of the asset, the date it was acquired, whether it was donated or sold, its value if sold, and the name and address of the entity which took possession of the asset.

B-1 report – A political committee that makes independent expenditures of $1,000 or more during the period 30 days or fewer before an election shall electronically file a report with the Board within 5 business days after making the independent expenditure. The report shall include name and address of person to whom an expenditure in excess of $150 was made; the amount, date and purpose of the independent expenditure; a statement as to whether the expenditure was in support of or opposition to a candidate; the name of the candidate; the office sought; and a certification that the expenditure was not made in coordination with any candidate or any authorized committee or agent of such committee.

Ballot forfeiture – The State Board of Elections shall not certify the name of any person who has not paid a civil penalty imposed against his or her political committee under Article 9 to appear upon any ballot for any office in any election if the penalty is unpaid by the date required for certification. The election authority shall not place upon the ballot the name of any candidate appearing on this list for any office in any election while the penalty is unpaid, unless the candidate has requested a hearing and the Board has not disposed of the matter by the date of certification.

Ballot initiative committee – Any natural person, trust, partnership, committee, or association, corporation, or other organization or group of persons that accepts contributions or makes expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $3,000 in support of or in opposition to any question of public policy to be submitted to the electors. Also includes these entities that exceed $3,000 in electioneering communications.

Beneficiary – The candidate or political committee deemed to have received the benefit from an expenditure. An expenditure made by a political committee on its own behalf shall list the expending committee as the beneficiary on the Schedule B form. An expenditure made to support another political committee or candidate shall be reported by listing that political committee or candidate as beneficiary.

Board – The State Board of Elections.

Bundler – A person who collects or accepts contributions from at least 5 persons in the aggregate of $3,000 or more outside of the presence of a candidate or not in connection with a fundraising event sanctioned or coordinated by the political committee during a reporting period. Does not include a person who is an officer of the committee, a compensated employee, a person authorized by an officer or the candidate of a committee to accept contributions on behalf of the committee, or an entity used for processing financial transactions by credit card or other means.

Candidate – Any person who seeks nomination for election, election to, or retention in public office, or any person who seeks election as ward or township committeeman in counties of 3,000,000 or more population (Cook County), whether or not such person is elected.

Candidate political committee – The candidate himself or herself or any natural person, trust, partnership, corporation, or other organization or group of persons designated by the candidate that accepts contributions or makes expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $3,000 on behalf of the candidate.

Code of Fair Campaign Practices – A voluntary statement made and filed prior to an election, vowing that the person making the statement will subscribe to the basic principles of decency, honesty, and fair play outlined in the Fair Campaign Practices Act, and conduct a campaign which will encourage healthy competition and open discussion of issues and candidates’ qualifications and discourage practices that cloud issues or unfairly attack opponents. State candidates and state political committees will file this statement with the State Board of Elections. Local candidates and local political committees will file this statement with the county clerk.

Contribution – Any gift, subscription, donation, dues, loans, advance, deposit of money, anything of value, purchase of fund-raising tickets, or transfer of funds knowingly received to support or oppose a candidate or proposition.

Contributor – Any candidate, individual, trust, partnership, committee, association, corporation, or any other organization or group of persons from which any cash, loan, or goods or services is received to support or oppose a candidate or proposition.

Custodian – Anyone, other than the committee chairman and treasurer, such as an accountant or an accounting firm, having access to committee books and accounts.

D-1 form – The form, also known as the Statement of Organization, which is to be filed by the candidate or treasurer of a political committee within 10 business days (5 business days if the filing threshold is reached during the period within 30 days prior to an election) after it reaches the filing threshold. The D-1 form provides basic committee information such as name, address, and officers of the committee; candidates or propositions supported or opposed by the committee; committee type and purpose; and financial institutions used by the committee.

D-1-A form – The form to be completed ONLY by legislative caucus committees formed by 10 or more members of the same caucus of the House or 5 or more members of the same caucus of the Senate. It should not be completed by a legislative caucus committee established by the President of the Senate, the Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, or the Minority Leader of the House.

D-2 form – The form used by a political committee to file a quarterly report, final report, or an amendment of either of these reports. The D-2 form reports summary totals of the political committee. Prior to 2011, the D-2 form was also used to file a semi-annual report, statement of nonparticipation and a pre-election report.

Date of creation – The date on which a political committee’s filing obligations begin. A political committee must begin filing disclosure reports when it either receives or expends in excess of $3000 within any twelve month period on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate or proposition. The date upon which a committee exceeds this threshold is its Date of Creation, which is reported on the D-1 Statement of Organization.

Date of receipt – A contribution is deemed received on the date (i) a monetary contribution was deposited in a bank, financial institution, or other repository of funds for the committee, (ii) the date a committee receives notice a monetary contribution was deposited by an entity used to process financial transactions by credit card or other entity used for processing a monetary contribution that was deposited in a bank, financial institution, or other repository of funds for the committee, or (iii) for inkind contributions, possession of which is not actually obtained by the recipient committee, the public official, candidate, or political committee receives the notification of contribution of goods or services. If no notification has been received, the inkind contribution is deemed received on the date the candidate, chairman or treasurer of the recipient committee, or the public official, obtains knowledge of the inkind contribution. A contribution of goods actually received by the committee is deemed to be made on the date the goods are transferred to the possession of the recipient. A contribution of services is deemed to be made on the date the services are actually performed.

Debt – Any outstanding loan or any other obligation of the political committee. A debt shall be reported on each semi-annual report until it has been repaid. A political committee may file a final report with outstanding debts. If after filing a final report, funds become available for partial or complete repayment of the debt, the political committee shall report the source and disposition of such funds.

Election cycle – For a political party committee, a political action committee, and a ballot initiative committee, the election cycle is one calendar year. The election cycle for a candidate political committee is based upon the office sought be the candidate.

Electioneering communication – Any broadcast, cable, or satellite communication, that refers to a clearly identified candidate, or candidates, who will appear on the ballot, a clearly identified political party, or question of public policy that will appear on the ballot for nomination for election, election, or retention, and is made within (i) 60 days before a general election or consolidated election or (ii) 30 days before a primary election that is targeted to the relevant electorate and is susceptible to no reasonable interpretation other than as an appeal to vote for or against a clearly identified candidate for nomination for election, election, or retention, a political party, or a question of public policy.

Electronic filing – Electronic filing of campaign disclosure reports became mandatory for the semi-annual report to be filed beginning July 1, 1999, by any political committee which had at any time during that reporting period a balance or $25,000, receipts or loans of $25,000, or expenditures of $25,000. Beginning July 1, 2003, electronic filing became mandatory for any political committee crossing a $10,000 threshold. Any political committee which does not meet the threshold figure may nonetheless file electronically on a voluntary basis.

Endorser – Any person guaranteeing in writing repayment of a loan to the political committee. Shall be reported by name, address, date, amount endorsed, as well as occupation and employer if amount endorsed exceeds $500.

Expenditure – Any payment, distribution, purchase, loan, advance, deposit, gift of money or anything of value, or any transfer of funds between political committees, made to support or oppose a candidate or proposition. The definition also includes an electioneering communication.