Important Information For All Filers in 2026

The Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance Drop Box is located on the 2nd Floor of the WRS Tennessee Tower (near the glass wall).  You may use this drop box to submit any paper filings for either the Registry of Election Finance or the Tennessee Ethics Commission. If you are visiting our Office for any reason other than to use this dropbox, you are strongly encouraged to make an appointment to ensure that the Bureau's Staff is available to assist you. 

For Candidates

·       You are required to ensure that the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance has a valid email address for you on file at all times and to ensure that you are regularly monitoring these inboxes.  The Bureau provides ALL notices by electronic mail to the email address on file in our office for each filer.  Only where electronic mail is not available will the Bureau send notices by first-class mail to the address on file in our office for each filer.  Again, it is your responsibility to ensure that your contact information is correct and up to date with our office and to check your email inboxes and regular mail receptacles. Tenn. Code Ann. 4-55-107 (effective March 14, 2023).

·       All notices sent by either the Registry of Election Finance or the Tennessee Ethics Commission will be presumed to have been properly delivered and received either 5 days from the date of electronic transmission or 5 days from the date of postmark, as applicable, absent affirmative evidence of the contrary.

·       For all candidates and/or officeholders reporting an unexpended balance or an outstanding loan or obligation and who have not affirmatively filed as a candidate in a future election, along with your campaign financial disclosure report, you are required to file a copy of your campaign banking account statements corresponding to the full term of each reporting period for as long as your filing account remains open. You may submit these statements to Registry.Info@tn.gov once you have submitted your online filing. Failure to file these bank statements is a Class 2 Offense subject to the assessment of a Class 2 Civil Penalty up to $10,000. 

·       Campaign funds are not the personal property of any candidate, and you are required to ensure that all campaign funds remain separate and segregated from all other funds.  You may not use campaign funds to pay civil penalties.  For those required to file their banking statements, as outlined above, you must continue to file these banking statements until you either close your current filing account or file to run as a candidate in a future election.  

For PACs

·       Beginning on January 1, 2026, the Annual PAC Registration Fee will be reinstated. (Public Chapter 415, 2025.) The Annual PAC Registration Fee is $150. Each PAC registered with the Registry will receive a reminder notice and instructions for how to submit payment of the PAC fee in Late December 2025/Early January 2026. All PAC fees must be submitted no later than January 31, 2026. (Any PAC registering with the Bureau after January 31, 2026, will be required to submit payment of the Registration Fee upon registration.)

·       You are required to ensure that the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance has a valid email address for you on file at all times and to ensure that you are regularly monitoring these inboxes. The Bureau provides ALL notices by electronic mail to the email address on file in our office for each filer, including for each identified Responsible Individual.  Each Responsible Individual must have an email address and mailing address on file with our office.  Only where electronic mail is not available will the Bureau send notices by first-class mail to the address on file in our office for each filer and each Responsible Individual.  Again, it is your responsibility to ensure that your contact information is correct and up to date with our office and to check your email inboxes and regular mail receptacles. Tenn. Code Ann. 4-55-107 (effective March 14, 2023).

·       Responsible Individuals are personally responsible for any civil penalty assessed against a PAC.  Pursuant to T.C.A. § 2-10-110(f)(1) of Tennessee’s Campaign Financial Disclosure Act, as amended in 2023, any person who directly controlled expenditures for the PAC (referred to by the Registry as the “Responsible Individual(s)”), including any candidate named as a treasurer or officer for the PAC or constructively controlling or directing the PAC, is personally liable for any civil penalty assessed against the committee by the Registry for violations of the campaign finance laws.  These penalties cannot be paid using PAC funds.

·       The Registry will send an Annual Registration letter to each registered PAC each year.  If any of your contact information has changed, or if there is a better contact method than the one on file, you may change your contact information by responding to this letter.  However, if you need to change your Responsible Individual(s), Officer(s), or Treasurer, you must complete a new Appointment of Political Treasurer and Officers form and submit it to the Registry.  These can be submitted by mail, fax, or email to Registry.Info@tn.gov.