Rosemary Stein, a Vice President here at Marden-Kane, explains why an affidavit is necessary in a sweepstakes.

An affidavit is a legal statement made in writing. Sweepstakes sponsors use this document to determine your eligibility to win a prize. The winner signing the affidavit declares the facts stated in the affidavit to be true, and confirms this under oath.

The affidavit will ask you to confirm that:

1) the information you submitted in entering the promotion is correct;

2) you complied with all the rules and regulations of the promotion;

3) you perpetrated no fraud or deception in entering or claiming any prize; and

4) you were not employed by the sponsor or judging agency and other designated companies involved in the production and implementation of the promotion.

You may also be asked to grant permission for the sponsor to publish your name for advertising and publicity purposes. If the prize you won is over $600, you will be required to provide your social security number for tax purposes.

You will need to sign the affidavit in front of a notary public. The signature of a notary (who must be present at the time of your signing), the date of the affidavit’s signing and the Notary Seal are required. Many banks and credit unions provide notary services free of charge to customers. Other places to find these services are public libraries, mail box companies such as UPS and Mail Boxes, Etc. and government offices.

Do you want to learn more? Then contact Rosemary at Marden-Kane. She can help you determine exactly how long your sweepstakes should run based on your goals.

To read more posts by Marden-Kane go to our main blog page or subscribe to our email list.