Alabama primary runoff delayed

The Alabama legislature has voted to delay the state’s primary runoff to July 18, 2006 instead of June 27, in order to give those serving abroad in the military a chance to cast absentee ballots. As a result, the filing deadline, electioneering communication period, independent expenditure windows and 48-hour notice dates for the runoff have changed:

• Close of Books¹ - May 28, 2006
• Mailing Date² - July 3, 2006
• Filing Date² - July 6, 2006
• 48-Hour Notices (for candidates only)³ - June 29 through July 15, 2006
• Electioneering Communications 24-Hour Notice Period- June 18 through July 18, 2006
• Independent Expenditures 48- Hour Notice Period- January 1 through June 28, 2006
• Independent Expenditures 24- Hour Notice Period- June 29 through July 16, 2006

Candidates participating in the Alabama primary have received notices to remind them of the revised dates.

¹ This date indicates the end of the reporting period. A reporting period always begins the day after the closing date of the last report filed. If the Committee is new and has not previously filed a report, the first report must cover all activity that occurred before the committee registered.

² Reports sent by registered or certified mail must be postmarked by the mailing date. Committees should keep the mailing receipt with its postmark as proof of filing. If using overnight mail, the delivery service must receive the report by the mailing date. “Overnight mail” includes priority or express mail which has a delivery confirmation or an online tracking system and is scheduled for next business day delivery. Reports filed by any other means must be received by the Commission (or Secretary of the Senate for Senate committees) by the filing date.

³ Filed by candidate committees only. 48-Hour Notices are required if the campaign committee receives contributions (including in-kind gifts or advances of goods or services; loans from the candidate or other non-bank sources; and guarantees or endorsements of bank loans to the candidate or committee) of $1,000 or more, during the applicable period.

⁴ Notice that the registered/certified & overnight mailing date falls on a weekend or federal holiday. The report should be postmarked before that date.