Remember to include disclaimers on political ads

Every election year, we have political candidates who don’t understand the requirement that all political advertising advocating the election or defeat of a candidate or issue must include a disclaimer in the advertising.

Don’t let a candidate try to convince you that they don’t need to include this information. It is a requirement.

If you're running videos on your web site, they also must include a disclaimer. This disclaimer should appear at the end of the video.

Here are the basic guidelines from Carol Williams of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. Go here to read Williams' letter.

• If the advertisement is placed by a political committee, the chairperson’s name must appear.

• If the advertisement is placed by a candidate or candidate committee, the treasurer shall be listed as the responsible person.

• If the ad is placed by an organization other than a political committee, candidate or candidate committee which has a chairperson, the chairperson’s name must appear. If it has no chairperson, then the responsible individual must be listed, either (a) the individual who is the primary funding source; (b) the individual who controlled the decision to place the ad, or (c) if no individual controlled the decision, then the individual who controlled the funds.

• If the ad is placed by an individual, that individual’s name shall appear.

Williams says under no circumstances is the name of the organization alone sufficient.