Voters

The Campaign Electronic Reporting System (CERS) is a publicly accessible database where candidates and committees report the money they receive and spend to promote and oppose candidates and other ballot issues. Montana's campaign finance laws ensure that the public can engage with a transparent reporting of money in elections. To access the database and search, click here. 

If a candidate or committee has included an addendum (attachment) in a report, you will find this information at the hard-copy search database. 

Campaign Finance (Candidates and Committees)

- Candidate & Treasurer Guide to Navigating CERS
- Committee & Treasurer Guide to Navigating CERS
- How to Regain Access to ePass 
- In CERS, tip for viewing when downloading as a .csv file 

The Inspection and Exam Process

Both candidates and committees will become familiar with the inspection and exam process.   An Inspection Report is a COPP inspection that occurs each time a candidate or committee files a campaign finance report leading up to an election. The Inspection Report notes all changes a candidate or committee must make to each campaign finance report in order to comply with Montana law. A CFR Compliance Report will only detail one specific financial report.

An Exam occurs after an election and serves as a final and cumulative inspection of all financial reports filed by a candidate or committee (required by 13-37-123, MCA). All campaign finance reports are included in the Exam, and the COPP alerts the candidate or committee to all outstanding items or issues that must be addressed by the candidate or committee. The candidate or committee then has 10 business days to correct all outstanding items. For more details on the Inspection and Exam Process, click here.

Search for hard-copy Candidate and Committee activity