If the Presidential Election Were Held in 1999

IF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WERE HELD IN 1999

WASHINGTON -- If the presidential election were held in 1999, the Federal Election Commission calculates that each primary contender would be able to spend nearly $40 million seeking his or her party’s nomination. Party nominees would be able to spend at least $66 million in the general election.

The FEC releases figures one year in advance of the presidential election year to meet the needs of campaigns in the early formative stages. The figures are NOT the final word in spending for the 2000 presidential race. Official spending computations will not be available until early 2000, since they must be updated for changes in state voting age populations (VAPs) and cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs).

The FEC figures include overall spending limits and limits for spending in each state. They apply only to those campaigns choosing to accept federal matching funds. Campaigns which opt to forego federal funding may spend unlimited amounts of money.

The overall "base" spending limit for presidential primary campaigns is $10 million, plus a cost-of-living adjustment (over 1974). At this time, the "base" spending limit it $33,060,000. An exemption for 20% of a campaign’s fundraising expenses effectively raises the amount primary contenders may spend in the pre-convention period to $39,672,000. Campaigns may spend unlimited amounts for legal and accounting costs they incur to comply with the law.

State spending limits are keyed to the voting age population of each state, with a minimum of at least $200,000, plus a COLA for those states with a low VAP. The formula for setting state limits is 16¢ X VAP + COLA. A less populated state, such as New Hampshire, would have a limit of $200,000, plus COLA, or $661,200. A larger state, such as California, would have a limit of 16¢ x 23,755,000 (VAP), plus COLA, or $12,565,445.

If they choose public funding, the two major party nominees will be given at least $66.12 million each for the general election campaign ($20 million, plus COLA over 1974). Furthermore, they would not be allowed to raise private contributions for the campaign, except for legal and accounting costs, which are not subject to the spending limit. The two major parties will be able to spend at least $13,252,167 million on their nominees in coordinated expenditures.