Dave’s to-do list to file for the presidency

I still need to file a Statement of Candidacy. This includes my name and address, the name and address of my principal campaign committee, and little else. Technically, I don't need to fill out the paperwork until I’ve raised or spent $5,000 on my campaign; after that, I’ll have 15 days to send the form to the FEC and the opposing candidates. Then I’ll get another 10 days to fill out a Statement of Organization, which registers my principal campaign committee with the FEC. The document designates a treasurer and a custodian of records to oversee money in and money out.

The government doesn't demand any filing fees that might dissuade long-shot candidates. Thank goodness because I don’t have a lot. Typically, more than 250 people fill out the paperwork every presidential election cycle.

Other candidates never register with the FEC at all. In fact, you can dodge the whole bureaucracy if you can run for president without spending more than $5,000 of your own money. (My Goal) In the 1996 presidential campaign, Ralph Nader made a point of not filing a statement of candidacy; he came in fourth in the voting.

Now that I’ve declared my candidacy, federal law requires me to file monthly or quarterly financial reports on campaign spending. To get matching campaign funds from the federal government, I’ll need to prove that I raised at least $5,000 in each of 20 states, and then submit a letter and written certification to the FEC agreeing to play by its rules. My campaign will also have to fill out forms for personal expenditures, debt settlements, and pretty much everything else. The reporting forms are here.

If all that seems like a pain, it's just the beginning. At some point I’m going to have to fill out a mountain of paperwork just to get my name on the presidential ballot in each state.