Subd. 1. Agreement by candidate.

1. (a) As a condition of receiving a public subsidy, a candidate shall sign and file with the board a written agreement in which the candidate agrees that the candidate will comply with sections 10A.25 and 10A.324.
2. (b) Before the first day of filing for office, the board shall forward agreement forms to all filing officers. The board shall also provide agreement forms to candidates on request at any time. The candidate may sign an agreement and submit it to the filing officer on the day of filing an affidavit of candidacy or petition to appear on the ballot, in which case the filing officer shall without delay forward signed agreements to the board. Alternatively, the candidate may submit the agreement directly to the board at any time before September 1 preceding the general election. An agreement may not be filed after that date. An agreement once filed may not be rescinded.
3. (c) The board shall forward a copy of any agreement signed under this subdivision to the commissioner of revenue.
4. (d) Notwithstanding any provisions of this section, when a vacancy occurs that will be filled by means of a special election and the filing period does not coincide with the filing period for the general election, a candidate may sign and submit a spending limit agreement at any time before the deadline for submission of a signed agreement under section 10A.315.

Subd. 2. How long agreement is effective.

The agreement, insofar as it relates to the expenditure limits in section 10A.25, as adjusted by section 10A.255, remains effective for candidates until the dissolution of the principal campaign committee of the candidate or the end of the first election cycle completed after the agreement was filed, whichever occurs first.

Subd. 3. Estimate; actual amount.

For the purposes of subdivisions 1 to 3 only, the total amount to be distributed to each candidate is calculated to be the candidate's share of the total estimated funds in the candidate's party account as provided in section 10A.321, subdivision 1, plus the total amount estimated as provided in section 10A.321, subdivision 1, to be in the general account of the state elections campaign fund and set aside for that office divided by the number of candidates whose names are to appear on the general election ballot for that office. If for any reason the amount actually received by the candidate is greater than the candidate's share of the estimate, and the contributions thereby exceed the difference, the agreement must not be considered violated.

Subd. 4. Refund receipt forms; penalty.

The board shall make available to a political party on request and to any candidate for whom an agreement under this section is effective, a supply of official refund receipt forms that state in boldface type that (1) a contributor who is given a receipt form is eligible to claim a refund as provided in section 290.06, subdivision 23, and (2) if the contribution is to a candidate, that the candidate has signed an agreement to limit campaign expenditures as provided in this section. The forms must provide duplicate copies of the receipt to be attached to the contributor's claim. A candidate who does not sign an agreement under this section and who willfully issues an official refund receipt form or a facsimile of one to any of the candidate's contributors is guilty of a misdemeanor.