Electronic Filing

• MD CRIS: Using any Internet browser, log in at www.campaignfinance.maryland.gov. You can file your campaign finance report up to 11:59pm on the filing deadline. An email will be sent to you verifying the submission of the report.
  
  Reports can be entered directly into our MD CRIS online filing system, or they can be uploaded into MD CRIS as Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets if they meet the file format requirements. See below for information about the file format requirements.

In order to complete the activation online, you will need one of the following to enter in the system:

1. Your Driver's license number;
2. The last 4 numbers of your Social Security Number; or
3. Your Voter Registration ID number.

Note: Using your Voter Registration ID is the most reliable way to activate your committee.

There is a late filing fee for each Campaign Finance Report or Affidavit that is not filed on or before the due date. The fee is $20 per day for the first 7 days that a report or affidavit is late, $35 per day for subsequent 7 days and then $50 per thereafter. The maximum fee chargeable is $1000 and this fee must be paid with campaign funds.

Note: The report must be filed whether or not transactions occurred.

The latest file formats can be found on the MD CRIS website. You may view them when logged into your CRIS account by going to the 'Upload Transactions' link under the menu tab. This link appears on the left hand side when you have clicked the 'Menu' tab. The latest file format specifications are version C1.6 for contributions and E1.6 for expenditures. They are current as of July 2018.

You may find it easier to enter your transactions directly into MD CRIS, instead of uploading Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets which meet our file formats. The potential exists for more errors and may require more troubleshooting when using the file formats. The file formats are usually intended for third-party software vendors whose software generates the file formats automatically.

To meet the file format requirements, you may also need to download CCFID's and Contributor/PayeeIDs for your specific MD CRIS account. These are also located in the 'Upload Transactions' screen which is accessible when logged into your CRIS account by going to the 'Upload Transactions' link under the menu tab. This link appears on the left hand side when you have clicked the 'Menu' tab.

Files for third party software vendors - for testing purposes only - appear below.

• Sample CCFID file
• Sample Contributor/PayeeIDs
• Sample Contribution Data
• Sample Expenditure Data
• File Format Specification for Contributions listed above
• File Format Specification for Expenditures listed above

Vendors: Please send your test import files (output from your third party software) to the Candidacy and Campaign Finance Division at [email protected] with header- TESTING Import files. Additionally, please check with the division for any file format changes due to legislation or new regulations.

MD CRIS, the State's filing software, automatically handles the connection and transfer ("upload") to the State Board's server. Filers using software from a private vendor have equal access to our server though they may need instruction from their vendor.

Common pitfalls

File transfer is, in most cases, completely transparent to the user. When problems occur they almost always fall in one of the following two categories: incorrect user ID and password input or connection blocking firewalls.

1. User IDs & Passwords

Every user has a unique username and password. The default username is your email address on record with SBE. It is important to make sure that the email address on record is correct at all times. Passwords are created by the user. If you forgot your password, please use the "forgot Password" feature and a temporary one time use password will be emailed to you. Once you log in, you will be required to change the password. Keep in mind that the passwords are all case-sensitive so make sure your "Caps Lock" key is not on.

2. Firewalls

Firewalls are a type of software designed to isolate a computer or a network of computers from other networks, including the Internet. Though firewalls are primarily found in offices they are quickly making their way into the homes of DSL and cable-modem subscribers. They are a very useful tool to protect your data and resources but they may also interfere with connections.

If you cannot connect to our server, check with your network administrator or with a computer support technician to find out if your computer is "behind a firewall" or equipped with a "personal firewall." If this is the case you may have to temporarily disable the firewall or work around it to reach our server. Disabling your firewall is relatively easy to do if you are working from a small office or using a personal firewall at home. Provided that your remember to reenable your firewall as soon as the transfer is over, it is also safe. Within a larger organization this option may not be available to you. In this case we recommend that you export your files to your workstation or to a removable drive and transfer those files from an alternate location with unrestricted access to the Internet.