Benton County Elections – Public Disclosure Training

Posted on April 1, 2026

DISCLOSURES

News and Tips from the Public Disclosure Commission

Keep campaigning off official government social media, websites, smartphones  As the 2026 general election season approaches, the Public Disclosure Commission is reminding sitting officials and government agencies that campaign or election-related statements or images should stay on your personal or campaign accounts, and off official government social media and websites.  

RCW 29B.45.010 prohibits the use of any public resource – which could include money, staff time, publicly owned buildings, vehicles, equipment, as well as social media and websites – to support or oppose any political campaign. See guidelines for public agencies for more information. Read more here.

The PDC covers this information in its Disclosure 101: Campaigns and Committees training. Sign up and see more class offerings here. 

Reminder: Stay vigilant for scams impersonating government agencies and their staff or officials

As a reminder, we strongly advise everyone to remain vigilant for suspicious or unexpected messages, regardless of their apparent origin from a government agency, business, or any other organization. 

Cybercriminals conducting scams seeking payment or personal information frequently impersonate official communications – such as emails or text messages –  to establish trust; this is often referred to as a phishing scam. 

Be vigilant for red flags such as unusual sender addresses or phone numbers, unexpected requests for personal information, spelling or formatting errors, or a sense of urgency that compels immediate action.

When in doubt, navigate directly to the organization’s official website or contact them through a trusted phone number to verify the message’s authenticity. Call the PDC at 360-753-1111 if you want to verify that a message came from us.

PDC staff support accurate reporting, celebrate campaign finance transparency year-round

Each year, Public Disclosure Commission staff host dozens of trainings, and field thousands of requests for assistance from campaigns, lobbyists, treasurers, public agencies and more on their responsibilities under Washington’s campaign finance law, RCW 29B.

On March 3, PDC staff met with the House Government and Tribal Affairs Committee to discuss the many ways the agency helps filers get it right, including free, virtual classes, helpful filer assistance staff, and constant updates and improvements to online reporting tools. 

On the same day, staff also sponsored a booth at the Legislative Building to meet with filers and members of the public, and to talk about the PDC’s mission of guaranteeing public access to data on campaign and lobbyist finances. 

Finally, from March 15-21, the PDC joined proponents of government transparency nationwide in celebrating Sunshine Week.  

More than 11.5 million records – including campaign contributions and expenditures, campaign registrations, officials’ personal financial disclosures, lobbyist spending and more – are available through pdc.wa.gov.

Last year, the PDC received more than 91,000 reports from nearly 13,000 filers, and since 2007 has regulated more than $2 billion in campaign contributions. 

Start exploring PDC data here. 

Sunshine Week is an annual national non-partisan collaboration of civic and government groups, journalists, and members of the private sector that works to promote the importance of public records and open government. Sunshine Week 2026 was March 15-21.

Continuously evolving tech: PDC filing system updates

In March, the PDC made a number of updates to online filing systems and the PDC’s website, pdc.wa.gov, including:

  • The PDC launched an update to its online reporting system for public agency lobbying (L-5). Changes included a new public agency lobbying dashboard listing reports previously filed and reports due by quarter. Each quarter now includes a display listing the report’s status.
  •  On pdc.wa.gov, members of the public can now search registered out-of-state committees. Information on individual committees is also now located on dedicated pages for each committee.
  •  Enforcement case pages were redesigned to include improved displays of case information and additional details about the enforcement process. 

Key dates

Our filer assistance team is here for you.  ​​​ ​ ​

  • The 21-day pre-election expenditure report (C-4) is due for all full-reporting committees participating in the April special election on April 7. This report is due regardless of campaign activity. The 7-day mandatory C-4 is due on April 21. 
  • Annual personal financial affairs statements (F-1) are due by April 15. 
  • Annual treasurers’ reports (T-1) are due by April 15.
  • The next regular meeting of the Public Disclosure Commission is scheduled for April 23.
  • The April special election takes place on April 28.
  • The quarterly public agency lobbying report (L-5) is due on April 30.
  • Candidate filing week takes place from May 4 to May 8.
  • The mandatory post-primary C-4 report is due on May 11. This report is due for all full-reporting committees participating in the April special election, regardless of campaign activity.
  • The PDC will be closed on Monday, May 25 for Memorial Day.
  • Weekly contribution (C-3) reporting for candidates and committees participating in the 2026 general election cycle begins June. 1.
  • See all upcoming dates at the PDC’s online calendar.​

For questions, email us at pdc@pdc.wa.gov 

Sign up now for upcoming trainings

Do you have questions about filing or using the PDC’s online filing systems? It’s always a good time to learn more! Enroll now for free trainings coming up in the next few months. 

Space in our classes fills up quick – be sure to sign up in advance.

Upcoming classes include:​

  • Walk-Through: Online Reporting of Campaign Activity (ORCA) at 1:30 p.m. April 29, 1:30 p.m. May 7 and 10 a.m. May 24.
  • Understanding the F-1 at 1 p.m. April 8 and 1 p.m. May 13.
  • Disclosure 101: Candidates and Committees at 1:30 p.m. April 22, 1:30 p.m. May 6 and 10 a.m. May 20.

 Upcoming lunch and learn events include:

  • F-1 reporting for candidates: 12 p.m. April 28

​Find information about training, reporting deadlines and events on our online calendar. 

See more training content on the PDC’s YouTube channel.

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WA Public Disclosure Commission

711 Capitol Way, Olympia, WA 98504