Monthly reports by presidential campaigns
Authorized committees of presidential candidates follow specific filing requirements that vary depending on whether it is an election year or not.
Election year filing
If on January 1 of the election year, the committee has received or anticipates receiving contributions aggregating $100,000 or more, or has made or anticipates making expenditures aggregating $100,000 or more, it must file monthly reports. If a presidential committee begins filing quarterly and then reaches the $100,000 threshold during the election year, the committee begins filing monthly reports at the next reporting period. Presidential committees filing monthly report electronically on Form 3P.
When a committee files its first report, it must include all “receipts" and "disbursements" that occurred before registration. This includes any receipts and disbursements made during the “testing the waters” (or exploratory) period. The coverage period of the first report should be adjusted to date back to the beginning of the committee’s financial activity.
| Report type | Dates covered (full month) | Due |
|---|---|---|
|
Monthly (Form 3P) |
January February March April May June July August September |
February 20 March 20 April 20 May 20 June 20 July 20 August 20 September 20 October 20 |
| Pre-general (Form 3P) | October 1 through the 20th day before the general election | 12 days before the general election or postmarked 15 days before the general election, if filing by registered, certified or overnight mail |
| Post-general (Form 3P) | Close of pre-general report through the 20th day after the general election | 30 days after the general election |
| Year-end (Form 3P) | Close of post-general report through December 31 | January 31 (following year) |
Non-election year
All principal campaign committees of current and former presidential candidates must file either quarterly or monthly reports in non-election years. If a committee would like to change its reporting schedule (for example, from monthly to quarterly) it must notify the Commission in writing and may change its filing frequency no more than once per calendar year. Electronic filers may use Form 99 to notify the FEC of a filing frequency change.
| Report type | Dates covered (full month) | Due |
|---|---|---|
|
Monthly (Form 3P) |
January February March April May June July August September October November |
February 20 March 20 April 20 May 20 June 20 July 20 August 20 September 20 October 20 November 20 December 20 |
| Year-end (Form 3P) | December | January 31 (following year) |
Continuing to file
Committees must continue to file reports even if their candidate retires, withdraws, loses the primary or otherwise drops out of the race before the general election. Generally, committees must continue to file reports until the committee completes the termination process.