Candidates and Campaign Treasurer Reports

1. List of Candidates

View the candidate names and their campaign information

2. Becoming a Candidate / When and What to File

A Candidate is a person who: 

• Seeks to qualify for an election; 
• Receives contribution or makes expenditures;
• Appoints a treasurer and designates a primary depository;
• Files qualification papers (during qualifying period) and subscribes to a candidate's oath as required by law

If you're interested in becoming a candidate, you must file the following documents with the filing officer at the Office of the City Clerk located at 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, FL 33133:

• Prior to opening of a campaign account.
• Prior to accepting any contributions or make any expenditures.
• Prior to obtaining signatures on a candidate petition form (Form DS-DE 104).

1- FORM DS-DE 9 - Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository for Candidates. This form is the first document that must be filed with the filing officer to become a candidate. This form must be filed prior to making expenditures, accepting contributions, or circulating petitions. Each candidate shall, at the same time Form DS-DE 9 is filed, designate the office for which he/she is running. Note: Only persons designated as treasurer or deputy treasurer may sign campaign checks. A candidate may be his/her own treasurer or deputy treasurer. (See F.S. 106.021.)

Note: The form is considered "filed" only when the filing officer (City Clerk) receives the form and determines that the form is complete.  After filing the “Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Depository (Form DS-DE 9)”, a candidate may proceed to open a campaign depository account, receive contribution(s), and/or make expenditures.

2- FORM DS-DE 84 - Statement of Candidate. The candidate must file this form with the the filing officer at the Office of the City Clerk located at 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, FL 33133 within ten (10) days after filing Form DS-DE 9 (Appointment of Campaign Treasurer and Designation of Campaign Depository for Candidates). This form states that the candidate has been provided access to read and understand the requirements of Chapter 106 Florida Statutes.

The Candidate Handbook has important information that you need to know before deciding to become a candidate. You will find detailed information and valuable resources for the upcoming General Municipal Election and City of Miami elected offices. 
• City of Miami Candidate Handbook (Documents provided in-office at time of submission of Form DS-DE 9)

NOTE - Documents filed with the Office of the City Clerk are public records and may be placed on the City’s website. 

3. Candidate Campaign Reports

Campaign Treasurer's Reports must be filed by all City of Miami candidates with the City Clerk via the electronic filing system (EFS).

Pursuant to Ordinance No. 13687, adopted on June 8, 2017, “[E]ach person, candidate, political committee, electioneering communications organization, or other individual or organization required to file campaign treasurer’s reports with the City Clerk in their official capacity as filing officer for the City of Miami (“City”) pursuant to Chapter 106, Florida Statutes, shall file such reports by means of the City’s electronic filing system.

To access the EFS, you must first obtain a login ID and password from the Office of the City Clerk.

Electronic Submissions must be received no later than midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on the day designated, per Florida Statute 106.0705(3). Any report that is received electronically after that time will be considered late and shall be subject to a fine in accordance with Florida Statute 106.07(8)(b). Effective July 1, 2023 - Each campaign treasurer designated by a candidate...shall file regular reports of all contributions received, and all expenditures made, by or on behalf of such candidate on the 10th day following the end of a calendar quarter... Except for the third calendar quarter immediately preceding a general election - Florida Statutes 106.07(1). For current reporting schedule, please visit the Calendar page or login to the Candidate's Electronic Filing System for Campaign Reports.

Login for Candidates to Submit Campaign Treasurer's Reports

Penalty for Late Filing

Any candidate failing to file a report on the designated due date shall be subject to a fine of $50 per day for the first three days late and, thereafter, $500 per day for each late day, not to exceed 25 percent of the total receipts or expenditures, whichever is greater, for the period covered by the late report. However, for the reports immediately preceding the primary and general election, the fine shall be $500 per day for each late day, not to exceed 25 percent of the total receipts or expenditures, whichever is greater, for the period covered by the late report. For a candidate’s termination report, the fine shall be $50 per day for each late day, not to exceed 25 percent of the total receipts or expenditures, whichever is greater for the period covered by the late report. All fines must be paid from the candidate’s personal funds – not campaign funds.

For information on campaign reports, duties and responsibilities of the campaign treasurer, contribution limits and penalties, etc.,  please refer to the latest Candidate and Campaign Treasurer Handbook (2024). For the latest publication and forms, visit the Florida Division of Election's forms and publication website.

Public Search of Candidate Campaign Reports

View Contributions and Expenditures from July 1, 2017 to present. The first Campaign Treasurer's report that will be searchable using the links below is the 2017-M07 report which was due on August 10, 2017. To view prior archived campaign reports, contact the Office of the City Clerk or make a public records request online.

List of Candidates from 2017 Election to Present             Search Candidate Campaign Treasurer's Reports

4. Candidate Qualifying

For your name to appear on a ballot in an election, you must qualify for the office you are seeking during the qualifying period.
Candidate Qualifying Information

5. Reporting of Solicitation of Contributions for Political Committees, Electioneering Communications Organizations, 501(c)(4) Organizations and Political Parties (MD-ED 28)

In accordance with Miami-Dade County Ordinances Nos. 16-46 and 16-75, codified in Sections 12-14.2.1 and 12-14.2.2 of the Code of Miami-Dade County, Florida, respectively, municipal elected officers and municipal candidates must file form MD-ED 28 to publicly disclose when they commence activities for Political Committees, Electioneering Communications Organizations, organizations exempt under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code (except for homeowners associations) and/or Political Parties.

Effective January 1, 2017, each candidate for municipal office in Miami-Dade County shall ensure that their designated campaign treasurer shall, within five (5) days (includes weekends and holidays) of commencing solicitation activities, either directly or indirectly, on behalf of a Political Committee, Electioneering Communications Organization, 501(c)(4) Organization or Political Party, file a one-time report with the City Clerk indicating that the candidate is undertaking solicitation activities on behalf of such Political Committee, Electioneering Communications Organization, 501(c)(4) Organization or Political Party. The report shall identify the name of the Political Committee, Electioneering Communications Organization, 501(c)(4) Organization or Political Party on behalf of whom such funds are being solicited and a description of the relationship between the candidate and Political Committee, Electioneering Communications Organization, 501(c)(4) Organization or Political Party. The report shall be filed on a form MD-ED 28.

City of Miami Elected Officials and Candidates must file the MD-ED 28 form with the City of Miami's Office of the City Clerk by using one (1) of the following options:

FORM MD-ED 28      MD-ED 28 Frequently Asked Questions         VIEW FILED MD-ED 28 FORMS 

6. Reports Involving Paid Campaign Workers Participating in Vote-By-Mail Activities (MD-ED 26)

In accordance with Section 12-14.1 of the Miami-Dade County Code candidates running for the Offices of Mayor and Commissioner must file a Vote-By-Mail Ballot Campaign Report (MD-ED 26) to disclose the names of paid campaign workers engaged in vote-by-mail ballot activities. The MD-ED 26 form is due at the same time Campaign Treasurer's Reports are due.

Once the report has been completed, submit a copy of the signed report (electronic signatures are not accepted) via email to: city-campaigns@miamigov.com

For faster processing make sure the email header includes the name of the candidate, the report and reference the type of report submitted (i.e. John Smith, 2017-M7 Vote-By-Mail Report).

FORM MD-ED 26 

7. Political Election Signs

MIAMI 21- Section 10.3.1 -  Class A Signs (Temporary)

For the purposes of this Article, Class A Signs shall be removed from the event or location to which they are related in a timeframe described below, unless otherwise specified.

Class A (political election signs).  No Sign permit shall be required for political election signs displayed on private property. Such political election signs shall be permitted no earlier than three (3) months prior to the date of the election and removed within fifteen (15) days after the election. All such political election signs shall be subject to the following regulations:

1.  In T5-L,O, T6-L,O, CI, CI-HD, D1, D2 and D3 Transect Zones, Signs shall not exceed fifteen (15) square feet in aggregate of Sign surface  Area; or
2.  In T3, T4, T5-R and T6-R Transect Zones, Signs shall not exceed four (4) square feet in aggregate of Sign surface Area.

Miami City Code Section 54-9 - Placing signs, advertisements, or displays on any portion of public right-of-way, street or sidewalk surface.
(a)  Except as provided in this section, it shall be unlawful for any person to post, stick, stamp, stencil, write, paint, erect or place a sign upon any sidewalk, crosswalk, curb, or any portion of the public right-of-way, including but not limited to, any trash receptacles, lamp post, electric light, telegraph, telephone, or utility line pole, hydrant, parking meter, bus bench or shelter, news rack, shade tree or tree box, any wall, fence or barricade, or upon the piers, columns, trusses, girders, railings, gates or other parts of any public bridge, overpass or viaduct, or any public structure or building except signs, advertisements, or displays authorized or required by the city, or by the laws or resolutions of the United States, the state, or the city. This subsection shall be enforced pursuant to the provisions of section 1-13.

• For additional information regarding political signage code, please contact the Zoning Department at (305) 416-1442.
• For additional information regarding compliance of political signage, please contact Code Compliance Department at (305) 329-4777.
• For political advertisement requirements, please refer to Florida Statute 106.143.

8. Poll Watcher Information

Pursuant to Florida Statutes 101.131, each candidate and political committee may have one poll watcher in each polling room or early voting area at any one time during the election. Each candidate requesting to have poll watchers shall designate, in writing, utilizing Form DS-DE 125, before noon at least 14 days before Early Voting begins for early voting sites and before noon of the second Tuesday preceding the election, poll watchers for each polling room on Election Day. Form DS-DE 125 MUST be submitted to the City Clerk by the deadline.

Submitting the list before the deadline will allow for substitutions, if a Poll Watcher is not approved. No Changes or substitutions will be accepted after the deadline – NO EXCEPTIONS

Poll Watcher Assignment:

Each political party, political committee with expressed interest in an issue on the ballot, and each candidate may have one watcher in each polling room or early voting area at any one time during the election; therefore if more than one poll watcher goes to any one precinct or early voting site, the Clerk will be responsible for ensuring that only one representative is present for that particular party, political committee, or candidate. 

Poll Watcher Approval: 

Pursuant to Florida Statutes 101.131(2) – The poll watchers for polling rooms shall be approved by the supervisor of elections on or before the Tuesday before the election. Poll watchers for early voting areas shall be approved by the supervisor of elections no later than 7 days before early voting begins. 

Pursuant to Florida Statutes 101.131(3) – No candidate or sheriff, deputy sheriff, police officer, or other law enforcement officer may be designated as a poll watcher. 

The approved list will be provide to the Precinct Clerk or Early Voting Clerk prior to the election. Poll Watchers  must show the Clerk a photo identification and the poll watcher identification badge issued by Miami-Dade Elections Department in order to be allowed in the polling room. Anyone not on the approved list will not be allowed entry into the polling room. Poll Watchers must wear the identification badge  provided by the Elections Department at all times while in the polling room or early voting area. 

The list of poll watchers must be submitted using the form DS-DE-125. It can be submitted electronically to the City Clerk by emailing it to city-campaigns@miamigov.com. 

POLL WATCHER FORM - DS-DE 125 - (08/2016)

9. Current elected officials and commission district maps

Look up your elected officials and view a map of their commissioner districts.  
Maps of City Commission Districts