Fair Election Fund and Commission

Baltimore County’s Fair Election Fund provides matching funds to qualifying candidates for County Executive and for County Council. The Fund was established by Bill 102-21, which allowed the creation of a public financing system in the County. The Fund will open for the 2026 election cycle, with the first disbursements allowed by law in June 2025. 

Make a donation to the Fund

Residents may make donations to the Fund, which may go toward Maryland State Board of Elections-certified candidates who opt to participate in the program. Those wishing to make donations to the Fund may do so by check payable to Baltimore County, Maryland. Print and submit this coupon with your donation.

Registration process

  1. To become certified in the Fund, an applicant candidate must be a Baltimore County resident running for County Executive or the County Council.
  2. Prior to raising a contribution governed by the Fund, an applicant candidate must:
    1. Register the Public Finance Committee with the Maryland Board of Elections Campaign Reporting Information System
    2. File a Notice of Intent to Qualify with the State Board of Elections.
  3. Once the initial registration and contribution requirements are satisfied to become eligible for Fund financing, all documents to determine certification of a participating candidate must be filed with the State Board. 

View What Candidates Have Applied for the Program

To view all campaign committees that have been certified or have filed an intent to become certified to participate in the Program:

  1. Navigate to the Maryland Campaign Reporting Information system.
  2. In the Committee Details box, select the dropdown for Committee Type.
  3. Select the Public Financing Committee option.
  4. Select the Search button.

important information by topic

The following is provided as general information only and is a supplement to the summary guide, it does not purport to be legal advice. Questions involving application of the Fair Election Fund law to your particular circumstances should be addressed to a lawyer.

Fair Election Fund-funded candidates and volunteers can campaign together with other campaigns and hand out another candidate’s literature, only if their funds are not used at any point during the canvassing (i.e., volunteer payments, travel expenses, etc.). The important point is that public funds cannot be used to benefit another candidate.

There are no prohibitions against a non-Fair Election Fund candidate or volunteer passing out another candidate’s (even Fair Election Fund candidate) literature.

Campaign materials for the Fair Election Fund candidates can be made available at party offices and campaign headquarters.

Contributions are recognized by individual resident, rather than by a single contribution amount, i.e., if $150 in aggregate donations were made in 10 separate contributions, that would qualify as one individual contribution. It should also be noted that each resident may only contribute up to $250 in any given election cycle, regardless of how many single contributions they make.

County residents may contribute to multiple candidates who participate in the program, so long as each candidate receives no more than $250 from an individual during a four-year election cycle, the individual can contribute to as many qualified candidates as they so choose.

Online Contributions

Contributions made online must match the name on the credit card. The contribution card states that the contribution is made from personal funds by the individual. If two names appear on the report (i.e. Jane and Jone Doe) then it is an invalid contribution. The campaign needs to prevent this from happening. There are programs that bar the use of certain symbols and words.

Contribution Receipt Requirements

A contribution receipt is required for all contributions received, eligible and qualifying, during a candidate’s public financing campaign. Failure to submit a receipt for an eligible contribution from a nonresident would not result in the loss of matching contributions otherwise earned; however, it could result in a fine to the campaign for violating the law after an audit is performed if the candidate cannot prove who made the eligible contribution and for how much.

Maximum Public Contributions

The maximum public contribution (not to be confused with the spending caps for candidates) from the Fund to a certified candidate is calculated together for the primary election and for the general election (the election cycle). For example, the maximum a candidate for County Executive can receive is $1,500,000 in public contributions for the election cycle. The maximum for a County Council candidate is $160,000. A candidate who wins the nomination after receiving County matching funds may continue to receive matching funds.

How to Qualify

In order to qualify for matching funds, candidates must collect from County residents a certain number of qualifying contributions, as well as a certain total amount. 

  • County Executive candidates—Must have collected from County residents at least 550 qualifying contributions and an aggregate total of $50,000 in qualifying contributions.

  • County Council candidates—Must have collected from County residents at least 150 qualifying contributions and an aggregate total of $15,000 in qualifying contributions.

Additionally, private contributions from an individual may not exceed $250 during an election cycle. Candidates shall not accept private contributions from any group or organization, including:

  • Political action committees

  • Corporations

  • Labor organizations

  • State or local central committee of a political party. 

Receiving Matching Funds

A candidate may continue to receive matching funds for qualifying contributions received during the primary election up to the primary election. A candidate must file a final reconciliation report after the County Board certifies the results of the primary election. Candidates who request matching funds for qualifying contributions received up to the primary election will receive those funds once the matching funds payments are authorized for disbursement by the State Board of Elections. Authorized disbursements for matching funds received up to the primary election will be made to all candidates even if they are unsuccessful in the primary election.

Matching Fund Tiers

For County Executive

The maximum public contribution is $750,000 per election.

Matching Ratio for Public Dollars Qualified Contribution Threshold
6 to 1 First $50
4 to 1 $51 to $100
2 to 1 $101 to $150
0 $150 to 250

For County Council

The maximum public contribution is $80,000 per election.

Matching Ratio for Public Dollars Qualified Contribution Threshold
4 to 1 First $50
3 to 1 $51 to $100
2 to 1 $101 to $150
0 $150 to 250

A certified candidate for County Executive may not make expenditures for either a primary or general election of more than $1,400,000 from their citizen-funded campaign account. Calculated together, this is $2,800,000. 

A certified candidate for County Council may not make expenditures for either a primary or general election of more than $150,000 from their citizen-funded campaign account. Calculated together, this is $300,000. 

A reporting of expenditures made to the State Board of Elections will be provided to the Director to enforce the spending cap.

All unspent funds remaining in the certified candidate’s publicly-funded campaign must be returned to the Fair Election Fund at the end of the candidate’s contested campaign. 

For candidates who win a contested primary election and continue on to a contested general election, they may retain the unspent funds and continue to receive eligible contributions up to the general election for the covered office for which they are campaigning.

Within 30 calendar days after the County Board certifies the results of the primary election, a participating candidate who is not going to be on the ballot for the general election must return any unspent money to the Fund. 

On or before December 31 after the general election, a participating candidate must return any unspent money to the Fund.

All funds in the Fair Election Fund are:

  • Money appropriated by the Baltimore County Council
  • Any unspent money remaining in a certified candidate’s citizen-funded campaign account after the candidate is no longer a candidate;
  • Any public contribution returned to the fund
  • Any fines collected
  • Any earnings on money in the fund
  • Voluntary donations made directly to the fund

Participating in the Program in the general election even if a candidate chose not to do so during the primary election is not prohibited. However, the qualifying period for a candidate to be able to participate in the Program ends 45 calendar days before the primary election. Therefore, unless a candidate has qualified to participate prior to the primary election taking place, they would be precluded from participating in the general election.

About the Commission

The Fair Election Fund Commission consists of nine members who must be confirmed by the County Council. The Commission is responsible for estimating the amount of funding needed during the upcoming 2026 election cycle and making annual recommendations to the County Executive on the level of appropriations needed in each forthcoming budget. Appointees will serve four-year terms. Review the Commission's regulations.

Eligibility to Serve

To be eligible to serve on the Commission, individuals must be a resident and registered voter in Baltimore County. In addition, individuals must not be:

  • A candidate for public office in the previous, current or next election cycle

  • A Chair or Treasurer of an open campaign account

  • An elected or appointed member of a local or state central committee of a political party

  • A lobbyist registered with the County or the State

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