Special to Iredell Free News

RALEIGH — Effective January 1, 2023, the contribution limit for North Carolina candidates and political committees increased by $800 per election, from $5,600 to $6,400. No individual or political committee may contribute more than $6,400 to a candidate committee or political committee in any election.

Pursuant to N.C.G.S. § 163-278.13(b), at the beginning of each odd-numbered calendar year, the State Board of Elections is required to calculate and publish the contribution limit based on changes to the consumer price index (all items – U.S. city average). The 2023 change is based on the 14.3477% increase in the index from July 2020 to July 2022.

The increase in the contribution limit is four times greater than the increase between 2019 and 2021, when the limit increased by $200 per election.

A notice of the increase was published in the North Carolina Register on January 3.

There are a few exceptions to the contribution limit:

♦ A candidate or candidate’s spouse may contribute unlimited amounts to that candidate’s committee.
♦ Any national, state, district or county executive committee of any political party recognized under N.C.G.S. § 163-96 is exempt from contribution limits.
♦ If there is a primary and a general election, the political committee may receive $6,400 from a contributor between the beginning of the election cycle and the day of the primary, and another $6,400 from the same contributor beginning the day after the primary through the end of the election year.

For more information about contribution limits, visit the following web pages:

♦ Candidate Committees
♦ Other Political Committees
♦ Federal Political Committees