Introduction

Welcome to the MERTS User Guide: MERTS is a software program provided free of charge to state-level committees by the Michigan Department of State’s Bureau of Elections. The software allows committees to file reports/campaign statements electronically over the Internet.

Mandatory Electronic Filing: Committees that file with the Bureau of Elections and spend or receive $5,000.00 or more in a calendar year are required to file electronically as described under Section 18 of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act (MCFA). Committees that are not required to file electronically because they have not spent or received $5,000.00 or more in a calendar year may voluntarily use the software and file electronically.

MERTS or an approved vendor product must be used to file reports/campaign statements electronically. There are a few types of filings that cannot be filed electronically; fo more information on filing requirements please visit the Bureau of Elections Campaign Finance Disclosure Web page.

Using The Guide: The MERTS User Guide provides direction for entering transactions (receipts, expenditures, etc.) and explains features in the software such as importing and exporting transactions. The Table of Contents provides an outline of the sections in the User Guide. Selecting a section of the guide will open a new window. To return to the Table of Contents, simply select TOC on the top right corner of the window or select the User Guide on the bottom of the window.

Committee Types: The User Guide provides instruction for Candidate Committees, Political and Independent Committees (PACs), Political Party Committees and Ballot Question Committees. Differences exist in the software depending on the committee type. These differences and are outlined throughout the User Guide.