Coordinated communications periods: special elections (2020-21)
When a person pays for a communication that is coordinated with a candidate, a candidate’s authorized committee, or their agents, or a political party committee or its agents, the communication is considered an in-kind contribution to that candidate or party committee and is subject to the limits, prohibitions and reporting requirements of the federal campaign finance law. FEC regulations establish a three-prong test to determine whether a communication is coordinated. All three prongs of the test—payment, content and conduct—must be met for a communication to be deemed coordinated and thus an in-kind contribution.
One provision identifies certain pre-election time frames during which a public communication that references a candidate will satisfy the content prong of the coordination test.
The following chart provides a breakdown of the 90-day coordinated communications (CC) periods for the 2020-21 special elections.
NOTE: For communications that refer to both a party and a clearly identified federal candidate please consult the regulations at 11 CFR 109.21(c)(4)(i)-(iv).
Coordinated communications periods for 2020-21 special elections
Special election | Election date | CC period (90-days prior through election date) |
---|---|---|
California 25th Congressional District Special General | 03/03/2020 | 12/04/2019 - 03/03/2020 |
California 25th Congressional District Special Runoff | 05/12/2020 | 02/12/2020 - 05/12/2020 |
Georgia 5th Congressional District Special General | 09/29/2020 | 07/01/2020 - 09/29/2020 |
Georgia 5th Congressional District Special Runoff | 12/01/2020 | 09/02/2020 - 12/01/2020 |
Georgia Senate Special General | 11/03/2020 | 08/05/2020 - 11/03/2020 |
Georgia Senate Special Runoff | 01/05/2021 | 10/07/2020 - 01/05/2021 |
Maryland 7th Congressional District Special Primary | 02/04/2020 | 11/06/2019 - 02/04/2020 |
Maryland 7th Congressional District Special General | 04/28/2020 | 01/29/2020 - 04/28/2020 |
New York 27th Congressional District Special General | 06/23/20201 | 03/25/2020 - 06/23/2020 |
Wisconsin 7th Congressional District Special Primary | 02/18/2020 | 11/20/2019 - 02/18/2020 |
Wisconsin 7th Congressional District Special General | 05/12/2020 | 02/12/2020 - 05/12/2020 |