Campaign Finance Reports
According to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, campaign finance law (M.G.L. Chapter 55) is a comprehensive statute governing the financing of political campaigns in the Commonwealth at the state, county, district, and municipal levels. The Federal Election Commission administers campaign finance issues as they apply to federal candidates. At the local level and in Hanover, the Town Clerk administers the campaign finance law and serves as a resource for candidates and residents who have questions and/or need to understand the law as it may apply to them.
Candidates for local elections and political committees file organizational forms (Form M 101) and must fill out Form CPF M 102 with the Town Clerk on or before each reporting date. Candidates and treasurers are responsible for the legality, validity, completeness, and accuracy of each of their reports. The M 102-0 report may be filled out by candidates who do not have a political committee organized on their behalf, have not received any contributions, spent any money, maintained a balance, or incurred any debts.
For more information about the campaign finance law and related processes, please contact the Town Clerk's Office.
Below, please find recent campaign finance reports for Hanover candidates and their committees. Reports are due for candidates on the ballot in any given year 8 days prior to the election, 30 days after the election, and at the end of the calendar year. For incumbents not on the ballot, only year-end reports are due that particular year. Unsuccessful candidates still have to file a 30-day post-election report, but then they can "dissolve" their committee as long as they do not have a balance. Reports must still be filed for unsuccessful candidates who do have a balance.
The consistent practice of adding these reports to the town's website was initiated during the second half of 2014. If a report date is not linked, the candidate likely did not file that report with the Town Clerk's Office. If you think a report has been filed and the link may be missing, please let us know.