Candidate Filing System - Frequently Asked Questions
“CFS” - Candidate Filing System
“Commission” - Campaign Spending Commission
1. To obtain an electronic password, must the same Application for Electronic Filing Password be signed by the Chairperson, Treasurer, and Candidate?
Answer: No. The “Application for Electronic Filing Password” may be submitted in parts. Thus, the Chairperson may fill out the form, sign it, and mail it into the Commission, and the Treasurer may fill out another form, sign it, and mail it in, and likewise the Candidate may fill out a third form, sign it and mail it in. When all three forms are received, the Commission will issue the electronic password and send the password to the e-mail address of the Treasurer. Faxes are not accepted, as we must have original signatures on file.
2. I submitted the “Application for Electronic Filing Password” but did not receive the electronic password via e-mail. What do I do?
Answer: The electronic password is normally e-mailed on the day that the “Application for Electronic Filing Password” is received by the Commission. If you did not receive the e-mail, please call the Commission at (808) 586-0285 and we will confirm the designated e-mail address and resend your password. Users have reported that e-mails are inadvertently filtered as spam and unknowingly deleted. Thus, you may want to update your Junk e-mail filter and add this address to your “Safe Senders” list: “cscato_email@hawaii.gov” (do not use this e-mail address for any other purpose) or check your Junk e-mail folder before deleting.
3. Is the username and password case-sensitive?
Answer: Yes. They must be entered exactly as seen in the e-mail. Users have reported confusion with the letter “l” (lowercase el) and the number “1” (one), and the letters “O” (uppercase oh) and “Q” (uppercase que) and the number “0” (zero). Thus, if you have these characters in your password, you may want to try different combinations or copy your password into Microsoft Word and change the password font from Courier New to Times New Roman with a font size 12.
4. What if I lose or forget my password?
Answer: Please call the Commission at (808) 586-0285 and we will assist you.
5. Are there any special rules for changing my password?
Answer: Yes. Passwords must have a minimum of one and not more than eight characters. Passwords can contain any pattern of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols.
6. Can multiple users be logged on to the CFS at the same time?
Answer: Yes.
7. Is the CFS Mac-compatible?
Answer: Yes. The CFS is accessible from any computer with an Internet browser and a broadband connection such as DSL or cable. Using a dial-up connection is possible but is not recommended.
8. Is the CFS secured?
Answer: Yes. The “s” in the https://nc.csc.hawaii.gov/cfs web address indicates that you are on a secured connection. Any data transmitted between your Internet browser and the Commission’s database is encrypted. The red certificate at the bottom right-hand corner of the CFS login screen also verifies the authenticity and security of the website. The Commission’s database is also protected by firewalls and regularly backed-up.
9. Can I import data from another program such as Access, Excel or Quicken into the CFS?
Answer: No. A feature that allows data to be imported is being worked on. However, the CFS does allow you to export your data into Excel. Click on “Export Data” from the menu bar to export data from Schedules A through F.
10. Upon initially logging on to the CFS, I entered my opening cash on hand but that amount needs to be corrected. The CFS is not allowing me to do that. How can I make the correction?
Answer: When you first login to the CFS, you must complete the “Cash on Hand” field by entering your opening cash on hand as of November 7, 2006. Once you enter the cash on hand and “Save” the Organizational Report, that field will no longer be available to you. The cash on hand can only be corrected by contacting the Commission. If your committee was not in existence on November 7, 2006, enter $0 as your cash on hand.
11. How do I designate the “Office Sought” on the Organizational Report, when I am undecided about which office I will seek?
Answer: The “Office Sought” is a required field in the Organizational Report. You may later amend the report to declare a different office. If you are a House candidate considering a Senate seat, you will be limited to contributions of $2,000 per person for the election period until you amend your Organizational Report to reflect a change in “Office Sought” to Senate.
12. I noticed that the Organizational Report requires a bank account number and the resident phone numbers for the candidate and officers. Will this information be posted on the Internet?
Answer: No. Only the bank account name and the address and business phone numbers for the candidate and officers will be posted.
13. Which officers are required to be listed on the Organizational Report?
Answer: Only the chairperson and treasurer are required to be listed on the Organizational Report. The Commission staff will input the chairperson’s and treasurer’s names, as listed on the submitted Application for Electronic Filing Password, into the Organizational Report.
14. Why am I not able to change the names of the chairperson and treasurer when I go to the "Administration" menu, "Edit Organizational Report" screen to amend my Organizational Report?
Answer: The names of the chairperson and treasurer can only be changed by the Commission upon receipt of an amended "Application for Electronic Filing Password" signed by the new chairperson and/or treasurer. The treasurer's signature on the form certifies that the information on all "electronically filed" reports and attached schedules are true and accurate. The signed form also serves as written acceptance of appointment for the chairperson and treasurer.
15. When I enter a contribution of $100 or less on “Schedule A - Contributions”, the CFS is requiring entry of an address for the contributor. I thought contributions of $100 or less were not itemized and therefore an address was not required?
Answer: The law does not require public disclosure of contributors’ names and addresses for contributions of $100 or less. However, since the law requires that you keep a record of the names and addresses of contributors of more than $25, the Commission suggests this information be entered into the CFS to track aggregate totals for a contributor who makes multiple contributions. This information will not appear in your public report, and is not accessible by the Commission because you may change your password after receiving your password from the Commission.
You will be allowed to aggregate these contributions up to $100 and enter them into Schedule A under a standardized code name, beginning with “$100 or Less A.” The next group of contributions that total up to $100 will be entered into Schedule A under the standardized code name of “$100 or Less B.” This alphabetical sequence will continue throughout the reporting period as A, B, C…..AA, BB, CC…..AAA, BBB, CCC. These coded entries will not be itemized on Schedule A but will appear as an aggregate total on the $100 or less line of the Disclosure Report for the applicable reporting period. If you are applying for public funds, the Commission suggests you enter the name and address for all contributions including those that are $25 or less.
For contributions of $25 or less, please contact the Commission for further instructions.
16. AMENDED January 8, 2009. If I enter a non-monetary contribution on Schedule A, does the CFS automatically create an entry on Schedule B, Expenditures, to off-set the non-monetary contribution?
Answer: No. You must manually enter an off-setting expenditure on Schedule B for each non-monetary contribution entered on Schedule A in the CFS, beginning with the Supplemental Report due February 2, 2009, covering the period November 5 through December 31, 2008.
Through the Final Election Period Report due December 4, 2008, the CFS would automatically create an off-setting expenditure on Schedule B for each non-monetary contribution entered on Schedule A. However, the CFS did not always carryover the off-setting expenditure data into the next reporting period, so the next report’s opening cash-on-hand would be inflated. The cause of this intermittent glitch cannot be located and thus, the CFS feature creating an automatic off-setting expenditure for non-monetary contributions is now deleted.
17. ADDED January 8, 2009. If I enter a loan that is forgiven on Schedule D or unpaid expenditure forgiven on Schedule E, does the CFS automatically create an entry on Schedule A, Contributions Received, to off-set the expenditure?
Answer: No. The CFS will no longer automatically create off-setting contributions on Schedule A for loans that are forgiven on Schedule D or unpaid expenditures forgiven on Schedule E. The off-setting contribution (so as not to artificially deflate cash-on-hand) must be manually entered on Schedule A in the CFS, beginning with the Supplemental Report due February 2, 2009, covering the period November 5 through December 31, 2008.
18. ADDED January 8, 2009. If I enter a loan from a candidate that is forgiven on Schedule D, does the CFS automatically create an entry on Schedule C, Other Receipts, to off-set the expenditure?
Answer: No. The CFS will no longer automatically create off-setting “other receipts” on Schedule C for loans of a candidate’s personal funds to the candidate’s committee that are forgiven on Schedule D. The off-setting “other receipt” (so as not to artificially deflate cash-on-hand) must be manually entered on Schedule C in the CFS, beginning with the Supplemental Report due February 2, 2009, covering the period November 5 through December 31, 2008.
19. Since a candidate’s contributions to the candidate’s campaign are reported as “other receipts” on Schedule C, rather than as “contributions” on Schedule A, if I enter an “other receipt” that is non-monetary (e.g. the candidate gives the candidate’s campaign 20 cases of soda), will the CFS automatically create an entry on Schedule B, Expenditures, to off-set the “other receipt”?
Answer: No. You must create another entry on Schedule B to off-set the “other receipt” of 20 cases of soda from the candidate.
20. If I write several checks to cover campaign expenditures (e.g. 5 cases paper, 4 banners, 20 lbs. of chicken), and my campaign writes me one check to reimburse me, do I write that same check number in the box for each separately listed expenditure on Schedule B?
Answer: Yes. The system will accept the same check number for multiple expenditure entries.
21. How do I file a “Late Contributions Report”?
Answer: The “Late Contributions Report” is a subset of the Final Primary and Final Election Period Reports. Contributions entered for these reports that qualify as late contributions (contributions aggregating more than $500 from any person received fourteen through four calendar days prior to the primary or general elections) will automatically appear on the “Late Contributions Report”. Under the “Preview/Print Report” menu, click on “Special Report” and select “Late Contributions Report” from the drop-down list to preview the report. If there are no corrections, file the report under the “File Report” menu by clicking “Special Report” and selecting “Late Contributions Report” from the drop-down list.
22. What is a durable asset?
Answer: A durable asset is a non-consumable supply or equipment with a minimum purchase value of $250 and a useful life of 12 months or more (e.g. digital cameras, blackberries, computers)
23. Must a candidate committee enter all durable assets into the CFS, even from previously manually filed (hard copy) “Acquisition of Durable Assets” forms, and/or include durable assets not previously reported?
Answer: Yes.
24. Once I file the initial “Schedule F - Durable Assets” form electronically on the CFS for a particular asset, must I electronically file that form with each and every report thereafter until I dispose of the durable asset?
Answer: Once you electronically file the initial Schedule F form on the CFS for a particular asset, the CFS will automatically generate the Schedule F for Disclosure Reports you electronically file thereafter. When a durable asset is disposed of, the disposition of the durable asset must be reported in the CFS.
25. Is there a short form on the CFS for a candidate whose aggregate contributions and aggregate expenditures for the reporting period each total $2,000 or less,?
Answer: Yes. The CFS will only show to the public a short form report for that reporting period which is limited to the Disclosure Report and Schedule F. However, the candidate or treasurer must enter all transactions into the CFS by completing Schedule A for contributions and Schedule B for expenditures that occurred during a reporting period.
26. The reporting period for which I am filing a report is not listed on the drop down menus when I click “Preview/Print Report” or “Validate Report” or “File Report.” What do I do?
Answer: Reporting periods must first be added by clicking "Administration" from the menu bar and then clicking "Reporting Schedules." Click “Add New”, select the applicable “Election Period”, then click “Reporting Schedule” and select the applicable description (e.g. Ran in 2006 or new candidate, running in 2008 (2-year election period)). Select the reporting period that you are filing your report for and click on “Add.” Once the reporting period is added, it will appear in the drop-down menus for “Preview/Print Report,” “Validate Report,” and “File Report”.
27. Will I receive a confirmation that my filed report was received by the Commission?
Answer: No. Unlike the HERTS2 program where an e-mail confirmation was sent to the filer when a report was filed, the CFS does not send such an e-mail, but you may confirm the Commission’s receipt of a report by clicking the “Filing Confirmations” menu and then “Disclosure / Late Contributions Reports”. That screen will list all reports filed and received by our office.
28. After I file my report electronically, may I preview and print my report from the “Preview/Print Report” menu?
Answer: While the report is no longer accessible from the drop-down list on the “Preview/Print Report” menu, “Disclosure Report” screen, you may click on “Amend Mode” from the menu bar to preview and print your report. However, any changes must be submitted in an amended report. The Commission encourages users to review and print their report before filing the report.
29. Can I print my entire report, including Schedules, at one time?
Answer: No. You must go to the “Preview/Print Report” menu, “Disclosure Report” screen and use your Internet browser’s print feature to print the selected Disclosure Report and each Schedule separately.
30. Where can I access my filed reports?
Answer: You may view filed reports at the public site, https://nc.csc.hawaii.gov/cfspublic. Filed reports may be printed from the public site.
31. I filed an amended report that affects my closing cash on hand total, do I have to file amended reports for all subsequently filed reports?
Answer: Yes, the CFS does not automatically amend your subsequently filed reports with the new cash on hand amount. You will have to amend and file each report separately. This is necessary because the affected closing cash on hand total will affect the cash on hand totals for all subsequently filed reports. Call the Commission staff for assistance at 586-0285.
