§ 2985. Vermont campaign finance grants; amounts; timing
(a)(1) The Secretary of State shall make grants from the Secretary of State Services Fund in separate grants for the primary and general election periods to candidates who have qualified for Vermont campaign finance grants under this subchapter.
(2) To cover any campaign finance grants to candidates who have qualified under this subchapter, the Secretary of State shall report to the Commissioner of Finance and Management, who shall anticipate receipts to the Services Fund and issue warrants to pay for those grants. The Commissioner shall report any such anticipated receipts and warrants issued under this subdivision to the Joint Fiscal Committee on or before December 1 of the year in which the warrants were issued.
(b) Whether a candidate has entered a primary or is an independent candidate, Vermont campaign finance grants shall be in the following amounts:
(1) For Governor, $150,000.00 in a primary election period and $450,000.00 in a general election period, provided that the grant for a primary election period shall be reduced by an amount equal to the candidate's qualifying contributions.
(2) For Lieutenant Governor, $50,000.00 in a primary election period and $150,000.00 in a general election period, provided that the grant for a primary election period shall be reduced by an amount equal to the candidate's qualifying contributions;
(3) A candidate who is an incumbent of the office being sought shall be entitled to receive a grant in an amount equal to 85 percent of the amount listed in subdivision (1) or (2) of this subsection.
(c) In an uncontested general election and in the case of a candidate who enters a primary election and is unsuccessful in that election, an otherwise eligible candidate shall not be eligible for a general election period grant. However, such candidate may solicit and accept contributions and make expenditures as follows: contributions shall be subject to the limitations set forth in subchapter 3 of this chapter, and expenditures shall be limited to an amount equal to the amount of the grant set forth in subsection (b) of this section for the general election for that office.
(d) Grants awarded in a primary election period but not expended by the candidate in the primary election period may be expended by the candidate in the general election period.
(e) Vermont campaign finance grants for a primary election period shall be paid to qualifying candidates within the first 10 business days of the primary election period. Vermont campaign finance grants for a general election period shall be paid to qualifying candidates during the first 10 business days of the general election period. (Added 2013, No. 90 (Adj. Sess.), § 3, eff. Jan. 23, 2014.)