Running for Town Office

Nomination Papers

Nomination papers may be picked up in the Town Clerk's office. You are required to obtain 50 signatures of qualified, registered Hingham voters in order to have your name appear on the ballot. Papers are available after January 1 and must be returned 49 days prior to the election. Elections are scheduled the Saturday following Town Meeting. Town Meeting is held on the fourth Monday in April. Please contact the Town Clerk's office if you have any questions.

Campaign Finances

Requirements and Procedures

Are you spending personal funds on your campaign?  Here's how to disclose it on your Campaign Finance Report (PDF).

State and municipal candidates* in the non-depository system often make campaign expenditures using their personal funds. When doing so, they and are required to disclose the expenditures and contributions on their campaign finance reports.

Step One: Report the amount spent as a contribution from the candidate to the campaign on Schedule A, even though the money was paid directly to a vendor. If you anticipate being paid back by the committee, write "loan" next to the candidate's name.

Step Two: Record the amount as an expenditure, listing the actual vendor in the "To Whom Paid" column on Schedule B with the date, purpose, address and amount. Listing the expenditure accurately balances the account.

Step Three: If a candidate anticipates being paid back by the campaign, the contribution information should be listed in the liabilities section of the campaign finance report (Schedule D). Liabilities to a candidate can remain for as long as the committee is open, and may be paid back or forgiven at a future date.

Example: Candidate X needs to buy $1,000 worth of lawn signs but does not have that balance in his campaign account. He uses his personal funds. He will disclose the activity by reporting a $1,000 contribution to the campaign from himself on Schedule A and a $1,000 expenditure to the lawn sign company on Schedule B. If it is considered a loan to the campaign, he will also list the $1,000 amount as a liability on Schedule D.

Exception: If a candidate is reimbursed for these expenditures before the end of the campaign reporting period, the campaign finance report would disclose the activity as a reimbursement to the candidate (rather than a liability) and attach a reimbursement form (CPF RI).

*Includes all legislative candidates, and municipal candidates in cities and towns with populations of less than 100,000.


Archived Reports

View Hingham's Campaign Finance Reports from previous elections