16-961. Definitions.

1. The terms "candidate's campaign committee," "contribution," "expenditures," "exploratory committee," "independent expenditure," "personal monies," "political committee," and "statewide office" are defined in section 16-901.

2.  
   1. "Election cycle" means the period between successive general elections for a particular office.

   2. "Exploratory period" means the period beginning on the day after a general election and ending the day before the start of the qualifying period.

   3. "Qualifying period" means the period beginning on the first day of August in a year preceding an election, for an election for a statewide office, or on the first day of January of an election year, for an election for legislator, and ending seventy-five days before the day of the general election.

   4. "Primary election period" means the nine-week period ending on the day of the primary election.

   5. "General election period" means the period beginning on the day after the primary election and ending on the day of the general election.

   6. For any recall election, the qualifying period shall begin when the election is called and last for thirty days, there shall be no primary election period, and the general election period shall extend from the day after the end of the qualifying period to the day of the recall election. For recall elections, any reference to "general election" in this article shall be treated as if referring to the recall election.

3.  
   1. "Participating candidate" means a candidate who becomes certified as a participating candidate pursuant to section 16-947.

   2. "Nonparticipating candidate" means a candidate who does not become certified as a participating candidate pursuant to section 16-947.

   3. Any limitation of this article that is applicable to a participating candidate or a nonparticipating candidate shall also apply to that candidate's campaign committee or exploratory committee.

4. "Commission" means the citizens clean elections commission established pursuant to section 16-955.

5. "Fund" means the citizens clean election fund defined by this article.

6.  
   1. "Party nominee" means a person who has been nominated by a political party pursuant to sections 16-301 or 16-343.

   2. "Independent candidate" means a candidate who has properly filed nominating papers and nominating petitions with signatures pursuant to section 16-341.

   3. "Unopposed," with reference to an election for a member of the house of representatives, means opposed by no more than one other candidate.

7. "Primary election spending limits" means:
   1. For a candidate for legislature, ten thousand dollars.

   2. For candidate for mine inspector, twenty thousand dollars.

   3. For a candidate for treasurer, superintendent of public instruction, or corporation commission, forty thousand dollars.

   4. For a candidate for secretary of state or attorney general, eighty thousand dollars.

   5. For a candidate for governor, three hundred eighty thousand dollars.

8. "General election spending limits" means amounts fifty percent greater than the amounts specified in subsection G of this section.

9.  
   1. "Original" spending limit means a limit specified in subsections G and H of this section, as adjusted pursuant to section 16-959, or a special amount expressly set for a particular candidate by a provision of this title.

   2. "Adjusted" spending limit means an original spending limit as further adjusted to account for reported overages pursuant to section 16-952.

WARNING - The above text was curent June 2003, but may be outdated now.