Coordinated communications periods: congressional primaries (2024)
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 2024 congressional primaries.
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 congressional primaries1
| State & type of election | Election date | CC period (90-days prior through election date) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama Primary | 03/05/2024 | 12/06/2023 - 03/05/2024 |
| Alabama Runoff | 04/16/2024 | 01/17/2024 - 04/16/2024 |
| Alaska Primary | 08/20/2024 | 05/22/2024 - 08/20/2024 |
| American Samoa General | 11/05/2024 | 08/07/2024 - 11/05/2024 |
| Arizona Primary ~* | 07/30/2024~2 | 05/01/2024 - 07/30/2024 |
| Arkansas Primary | 03/05/2024 | 12/06/2023 - 03/05/2024 |
| Arkansas Runoff | 04/02/2024 | 01/03/2024 - 04/02/2024 |
| California Primary~* | 03/05/2024 | 12/06/2023 - 03/05/2024 |
| Colorado Primary | 06/25/2024 | 03/27/2024 - 06/25/2024 |
| Connecticut Primary~* | 08/13/2024~3 | 05/15/2024 - 08/13/2024 |
| Connecticut Convention - Democratic Party (House) | 05/13/2024~3 | 02/13/2024 - 05/13/2024 |
| Connecticut Convention - Democratic Party (Senate)~* | 05/11/2024~3 | 02/11/2024 - 05/11/2024 |
| Connecticut Convention - Republican Party (House) | 05/20/2024~3 | 02/20/2024 - 05/20/2024 |
| Connecticut Convention - Republican Party (Senate)~* | 05/13/2024~3 | 02/13/2024 - 05/13/2024 |
| Delaware Primary~* | 09/10/2024 | 06/12/2024 - 09/10/2024 |
| District of Columbia Primary | 06/04/2024 | 03/06/2024 - 06/04/2024 |
| Florida Primary~* | 08/20/2024 | 05/22/2024 - 08/20/2024 |
| Georgia Primary | 05/21/2024 | 02/21/2024 - 05/21/2024 |
| Georgia Runoff | 06/18/2024 | 03/20/2024 - 06/18/2024 |
| Georgia General Runoff | 12/03/2024 | 09/04/2024 - 12/03/2024 |
| Guam Primary | 08/03/2024 | 05/05/2024 - 08/03/2024 |
| Guam General Runoff | 11/19/2024 | 08/21/2024 - 11/19/2024 |
| Hawaii Primary~* | 08/10/2024 | 05/12/2024 - 08/10/2024 |
| Idaho Primary | 05/21/2024 | 02/21/2024 - 05/21/2024 |
| Illinois Primary | 03/19/2024 | 12/20/2023 - 03/19/2024 |
| Indiana Primary~* | 05/07/2024~3 | 02/07/2024 - 05/07/2024 |
| Indiana Convention - Libertarian Party~* | 03/02/2024~3 | 12/03/2023 - 03/02/2024 |
| Iowa Primary | 06/04/2024 | 03/06/2024 - 06/04/2024 |
| Kansas Primary | 08/06/2024~3 | 05/08/2024 - 08/06/2024 |
| Kansas Convention - Libertarian Party | 04/20/2024~3 | 01/21/2024 - 04/20/2024 |
| Kentucky Primary | 05/21/2024 | 02/21/2024 - 05/21/2024 |
| Louisiana Primary | 07/19/2024~4 | 04/20/2024 - 07/19/2024 |
| Louisiana General | 11/05/2024~4 | 08/07/2024 - 11/05/2024 |
| Louisiana General Runoff | 12/07/2024~4 | 09/08/2024 - 12/07/2024 |
| Maine Primary~* | 06/11/2024 | 03/13/2024 - 06/11/2024 |
| Maryland Primary~* | 05/14/2024 | 02/14/2024 - 05/14/2024 |
| Massachusetts Primary~* | 09/03/2024 | 06/05/2024 - 09/03/2024 |
| Michigan Primary~* | 08/06/2024~3 | 05/08/2024 - 08/06/2024 |
| Michigan Convention - Green Party~* | 06/15/2024~3 | 03/17/2024 - 06/15/2024 |
| Minnesota Primary~* | 08/13/2024 | 05/15/2024 - 08/13/2024 |
| Mississippi Primary~* | 03/12/2024 | 12/13/2023 - 03/12/2024 |
| Mississippi Runoff~* | 04/02/2024 | 01/03/2024 - 04/02/2024 |
| Missouri Primary~* | 08/06/2024 | 05/08/2024 - 08/06/2024 |
| Montana Primary~* | 06/04/2024 | 03/06/2024 - 06/04/2024 |
| Nebraska Primary~* | 05/14/2024 | 02/14/2024 - 05/14/2024 |
| Nevada Primary~* | 06/11/2024 | 03/13/2024 - 06/11/2024 |
| New Hampshire Primary | 09/10/2024 | 06/12/2024 - 09/10/2024 |
| New Jersey Primary~* | 06/04/2024 | 03/06/2024 - 06/04/2024 |
| New Mexico Primary~* | 06/04/2024 | 03/06/2024 - 06/04/2024 |
| New York Primary~* | 06/25/2024 | 03/27/2024 - 06/25/2024 |
| North Carolina Primary | 03/05/2024 | 12/06/2023 - 03/05/2024 |
| North Carolina Runoff | 05/14/2024 | 02/14/2024 - 05/14/2024 |
| North Dakota Primary~* | 06/11/2024 | 03/13/2024 - 06/11/2024 |
| Northern Mariana Islands General | 11/05/2024 | 08/07/2024 - 11/05/2024 |
| Ohio Primary~* | 03/19/2024 | 12/20/2023 - 03/19/2024 |
| Oklahoma Primary | 06/18/2024 | 03/20/2024 - 06/18/2024 |
| Oklahoma Runoff | 08/27/2024 | 05/29/2024 - 08/27/2024 |
| Oregon Primary | 05/21/2024 | 02/21/2024 - 05/21/2024 |
| Pennsylvania Primary~* | 04/23/2024 | 01/24/2024 - 04/23/2024 |
| Puerto Rico Primary | 06/02/2024 | 03/04/2024 - 06/02/2024 |
| Rhode Island Primary~* | 09/10/2024 | 06/12/2024 - 09/10/2024 |
| South Carolina Primary | 06/11/2024~3 | 03/13/2024 - 06/11/2024 |
| South Carolina Runoff | 06/25/2024 | 03/27/2024 - 06/25/2024 |
| South Carolina Convention - Alliance Party | 04/20/2024~3 | 01/21/2024 - 04/20/2024 |
| South Carolina Convention - Constitution Party | 04/13/2024~3 | 01/14/2024 - 04/13/2024 |
| South Carolina Convention - Forward Party | 05/04/2024~3 | 02/04/2024 - 05/04/2024 |
| South Carolina Convention - Green Party | 05/11/2024~3 | 02/11/2024 - 05/11/2024 |
| South Carolina Convention - Libertarian Party | 05/04/2024~3 | 02/04/2024 - 05/04/2024 |
| South Carolina Convention - United Citizens Party | 03/09/2024~3 | 12/10/2023 - 03/09/2024 |
| South Carolina Convention - Workers Party | 03/16/2024~3 | 12/17/2023 - 03/16/2024 |
| South Dakota Primary | 06/04/2024~3 | 03/06/2024 - 06/04/2024 |
| South Dakota Runoff | 07/30/2024 | 05/01/2024 - 07/30/2024 |
| South Dakota Convention - Libertarian Party | 06/29/2024~3 | 03/31/2024 - 06/29/2024 |
| Tennessee Primary~* | 08/01/2024 | 05/03/2024 - 08/01/2024 |
| Texas Primary~* | 03/05/2024~3 | 12/06/2023 - 03/05/2024 |
| Texas Runoff~* | 05/28/2024 | 02/28/2024 - 05/28/2024 |
| Texas Convention - Libertarian Party Senate~* | 04/14/2024~3 | 01/15/2024 - 04/14/2024 |
| Texas Convention - Minor Party Single-County [Dist. #s 16, 18, 20, 29, 38] | 03/16/2024~3 | 12/17/2023 - 03/16/2024 |
| Texas Convention - Minor Party Multi-County [Dist. #s 1-15, 17, 19, 21-28, 30-37] | 03/23/2024~3 | 12/24/2023 - 03/23/2024 |
| Utah Primary~* | 06/25/2024~3 | 03/27/2024 - 06/25/2024 |
| Utah Convention - Constitution Party~* | 04/13/2024~3 | 01/14/2024 - 04/13/2024 |
| Utah Convention - Democratic Party~* | 04/27/2024~3 | 01/28/2024 - 04/27/2024 |
| Utah Convention - Independent American Party~* | 04/27/2024~3~5 | 01/28/2024 - 04/27/2024 |
| Utah Convention - Libertarian Party~* | 04/20/2024~3 | 01/21/2024 - 04/20/2024 |
| Utah Convention - Republican Party~* | 04/27/2024~3 | 01/28/2024 - 04/27/2024 |
| Utah Convention - United Utah Party~* | 04/20/2024~3 | 01/21/2024 - 04/20/2024 |
| Vermont Primary~* | 08/13/2024 | 05/15/2024 - 08/13/2024 |
| Virgin Islands Primary | 08/03/2024 | 05/05/2024 - 08/03/2024 |
| Virgin Islands General Runoff | 11/19/2024 | 08/21/2024 - 11/19/2024 |
| Virginia Primary~* | 06/18/2024 | 03/20/2024 - 06/18/2024 |
| Washington Primary~* | 08/06/2024 | 05/08/2024 - 08/06/2024 |
| West Virginia Primary~* | 05/14/2024~3 | 02/14/2024 - 05/14/2024 |
| West Virginia Convention - Libertarian Party~* | 03/16/2024~3 | 12/17/2023 - 03/16/2024 |
| Wisconsin Primary~* | 08/13/2024 | 05/15/2024 - 08/13/2024 |
| Wyoming Primary~* | 08/20/2024~3 | 05/22/2024 - 08/20/2024 |
| Wyoming Convention - Constitution Party~* | 03/23/2024~3 | 12/24/2023 - 03/23/2024 |
Footnotes
-
1.
Election dates are subject to change. This chart will be updated as additional information becomes available.
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2.
On 02/09/2024, the state of Arizona changed its congressional primary from 08/06/2024 to 07/30/2024.
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3.
In Connecticut and Utah, conventions are held by the political parties prior to the primary. (In other states, such as Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming, it is possible that minor parties may schedule conventions to nominate candidates.)
-
4.
In AO 2000-29, the Commission determined that the last day to qualify for a position on the general election ballot in Louisiana -- in this case 07/19/2024 -- must be considered the primary election date for Louisiana candidates. The election for candidates seeking federal office is the general election scheduled for 11/05/2024. Additionally, under state law if no candidate in the 11/05/2024 general election receives over 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election will be held on 12/07/2024.
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5.
On 03/07/2024, the Utah Independent American Party changed its congressional convention from 06/15/2024 to 04/27/2024.
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*
States holding 2024 Senate elections.