Section 410-RICR-10-00-5.3 - ContributionsA. Incumbent general officeholders & persons who were not candidates for any other public office during the first two years of a four-year election cycle as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-25-3(5). 1. All contributions received by incumbent general officeholders and persons who were not candidates for any other public office during the first two years of a four-year election cycle, which otherwise qualify to be matched with public funds pursuant to the provisions of R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 17-25, shall be eligible to be matched with public funds.B. Persons who were candidates for public office during the first two years of a four-year election cycle as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-25-3(5). 1. All contributions received during the last two years of a four-year election cycle, which otherwise qualify to be matched with public funds pursuant to the provisions of R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 17-25, shall be eligible to be matched with public funds.2. Further, the balance of funds remaining in a campaign account or accounts, as reported to the Board of Elections, as of December 31st in the even-numbered year between elections for general officers and carried forward shall be treated as a contribution by the candidate to his/her own campaign for general office and counted toward the contribution limits for that office; provided, however, that no candidate shall be permitted to carry forward in excess of five percent (5%) of the total amount which a candidate is permitted to expend in a primary and general election campaign for the general office sought pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 17-25-19 and §17-25-21 and that only $1,000 of such amount shall be eligible for matching public funds.3. The campaign fund balance beyond the five percent (5%) permitted to be carried forward shall not be permitted to be expended and shall be placed in a separate campaign account which shall be inactive for the period commencing on the day the person becomes a declared candidate for general office pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-14-1 and concluding with the final audit of the campaign by the Board of Elections.410 R.I. Code R. 410-RICR-10-00-5.3