In this title, the following words have the meanings indicated:
(1) “Applicant candidate” means a person who is running for a covered office and who is seeking to be a certified candidate in a primary or general election.
(2) “Board” means the Maryland State Board of Elections.
(3) “Campaign finance entity” means a political committee established under Title 13 of the Election Law Article of the State Code.
(4) “Certified candidate” means a candidate running for a covered office who is certified as eligible for public campaign financing from the Fund.
(5) “Consumer Price Index” means the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI) for Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, or a successor index.
(7) “Contribution” means the gift or transfer, or promise of gift or transfer, of money or other thing of value to a campaign finance entity to promote or assist in the promotion of the success or defeat of a candidate, political party, or question. Contribution includes proceeds from the sale of tickets to a campaign fund-raising event as defined in § 1-101 of the Election Law Article of the State Code.
(8) “Controller” means the County Controller or the County Controller’s designee.
(9) “County Board” means the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections.
(10) “Covered office” means the Office of County Executive or County Councilmember.
(11) “Disbursement period” means the period of time beginning 365 days before the primary election for the covered office the candidate seeks and ending 15 days after the date of the general election.
(12) “Election cycle” means the primary and general election for the same term of a covered office.
(13) “Eligible contribution” means an aggregate donation in a four year election cycle of no more than $250 from an individual, including an individual who does not reside in the County.
(14) “Fund” means the Public Campaign Financing Fund.
(15) “Non-certified candidate” means a person who is running for a covered office who either:
(i) chooses not to apply to be a certified candidate; or
(ii) applies to be a certified candidate but fails to qualify.
(16) “Non-participating candidate” means a person who is running for a covered office who is either a certified candidate who declines to accept a public contribution or a non-certified candidate.
(17) “Participating candidate” means a certified candidate who has received a public contribution from the Fund for a primary or general election.
(18) “Public Campaign Financing System Commission” means the Commission established in § 1-12-110.
(19) “Public contribution” means money disbursed from the Fund to a certified candidate.
(20) “Publicly funded campaign account” means a campaign finance account established by a candidate for the exclusive purpose of receiving eligible contributions and spending funds in accordance with this title.
(21) “Qualifying contribution” means an eligible contribution of at least $5 but no more than $250 in support of an applicant candidate or a certified candidate that is:
(i) made by a County resident;
(ii) made after the beginning of the qualifying period, but no later than the primary election or, if the candidate, advances, the general election; and
(iii) acknowledged by a receipt that identifies the contributor’s name and residential address and signed by the contributor directly or by a digital signature using a method approved by the Board.
(22) “Qualifying period” means the period of time beginning on January 1 following the last election for the covered office the candidate seeks and ending 45 days before the date of the primary election.
(23) “Slate” means a political committee of two or more candidates who join together to conduct and pay for joint campaign activities.
(Bill No. 25-23)