Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Getting Started
- Software Download and Install
- MERTS Menu Functions
- Setting Up a Committee
- MERTS File Extension
- Add New or Modify Names
- Importing Names
- Exporting Names
- Add New or Modify Reports
- Importing Transactions
- Exporting Transactions
- Add New or Modify Election Cycle
- Add New or Modify Fund Raiser
- Add New or Modify Direct Contributions
- Add New or Modify Other Receipts
- Add New or Modify In-Kind Contributions
- Add New or Modify Campaigns
- Add New or Modify Direct Expenditures
- Add New or Modify GOTV Expenditures
- Add New or Modify In-Kind Expenditures
- Add New or Modify Independent Expenditures
- Add New or Modify Disbursements
- Add New or Modify Loans Owed BY the Committee
- Add New or Modify Debts Owed TO the Committee
- Add New or Modify Debts Owed BY the Committee
- Add New or Modify Payments to Debts or Loans
- Contribution and Expenditure Limits
- View and Print Campaign Report
- All Transactions Tab
- Run, View and Print Validation Report
- Closing, Adding Treasurer and Uploading Report
- Amending a Campaign Report
- Backing up and Restoring Files
The validation tab is a detailed report of possible errors, omissions or excess contributions in the selected report/campaign statement. A validation report can be run at any time and should be run before a report/campaign statement is closed so that all errors can be corrected prior to closing and uploading the report/campaign statement.
Note: When the validation report is run prior to closing the report, a fatal error will appear preventing the report from filing. The error will read: “CVR (Cover Page), Date Closed, Mandatory Field”.
To view and print a validation report, follow the steps below:
- Select an existing report in the Reports tab to be validated.
- To run a validation report select the Validate icon
on the toolbar or select File and Validate.
- A new validation tab will appear and the validation report will be processed for the selected report/campaign statement.
- To print the validation report/campaign statement select Print under the File menu.

Fatal warnings will prevent a report/campaign statement from being accepted when filed. Fatal errors must be corrected before the report/campaign statement can be successfully uploaded. Please note if the validation report shows a fatal error indicating “CVR (Cover Page), Date Closed, Mandatory Field” the report/campaign statement is not yet closed and therefore will not upload. If the report/campaign statement is not ready to be filed please disregard this error.
Statutory warnings will not prevent the report/campaign statement from being filed but should be corrected to avoid the committee receiving a notice from the Bureau of Elections.
Select the Transaction ID to be directed to the All Transactions tab to make the necessary changes.