Post-General reporting reminder (2018)

The 30-Day Post-General Election report is due on December 6, 2018. The Post-General Election report covers activity from October 18 (or from the close of books of the last report filed) through November 26. The following committees must file this report:

• All registered PACs and party committees—even committees with little or no activity to disclose. Monthly filers must submit this report in lieu of the December monthly report.
• Authorized committees of federal candidates running in the general election, including committees of unopposed candidates. Note that because the reporting period for the Post-General Election report spans two election cycles, candidate committees must use the Post-Election Detailed Summary Page (FEC Form 3, Pages 5-8) instead of the normal Detailed Summary Page.

The Commission will host a reporting workshop and webinar for candidate committees on November 14 to help filers prepare their reports and wind down their campaigns.

Important: change in filing for Senate candidates and committees

Filers who previously submitted reports to the Secretary of the Senate must submit all reports due on or after September 21, 2018 directly to the FEC. Additionally, Senate filers are now subject to the same electronic filing requirements (described in this article) that apply to all other filers.

Notification of filing deadlines

In addition to publishing this article and the online reporting tables, the Commission notifies committees of filing deadlines through reporting reminders called prior notices. Prior notices are distributed exclusively by email, so every committee should ensure that the email address on its Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1) is current. Each committee may list up to two email addresses. To amend the Form 1, electronic filers must submit the Form 1 filled out in its entirety. Paper filers should include only the committee’s name, address, FEC identification number and the updated or changed portions of the form. Committees may also use our online webform to update their information.

Treasurer’s responsibilities

The Commission provides reminders of upcoming filing dates as a courtesy to help committees comply with the filing deadlines set forth in the Federal Election Campaign Act (the Act) and Commission regulations. Committee treasurers are responsible for filing committee reports on time. Not receiving a prior notice does not excuse committee treasurers for failing to comply with any filing deadline.

Filing electronically

Under the Commission’s mandatory electronic filing regulations, individuals and organizations required to file with the FEC that receive contributions or make expenditures, including independent expenditures, aggregating in excess of $50,000 in a calendar year — or have reason to expect to do so — must file all reports and statements electronically.

Reports filed electronically must be received and validated by the Commission by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the filing date. Electronic filers who file on paper or submit an electronic report that does not pass the Commission’s validation program by that time on the filing deadline will be considered nonfilers and may be subject to enforcement actions, including administrative fines.

The Commission’s electronic filing software, FECFile, is free and can be downloaded from the FEC’s website. All reports filed after August 15, 2018, must be filed in version 8.3 of the electronic filing software. Reports filed in previous versions of the software will not be accepted. Filers may also use commercial or privately developed software as long as the software meets the Commission’s format specifications, which are available on the Commission’s website. Committees using commercial software should contact their vendors to ensure their software meets the latest specifications.

Timely filing for paper filers

Registered and certified mail

Reports sent by registered or certified mail are considered to be filed on the date of their postmark. Accordingly, quarterly reports sent by registered or certified mail must be postmarked on or before the filing deadline to be considered timely filed. A committee sending its reports by registered or certified mail should keep its mailing receipt with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) postmark as proof of mailing, because the USPS does not keep complete records of items sent by certified or registered mail.

Overnight mail

Reports sent via overnight mail will be considered timely filed if the report is postmarked on or before the filing deadline. “Overnight mail” includes Priority Mail or Priority Express Mail having a delivery confirmation, or an overnight service with which the report is scheduled for next business day delivery and is recorded in the service’s online tracking system. Note that “Express Mail” as referred to in FEC regulations has been renamed “Priority Express Mail” by the USPS. Reports filed via overnight mail will be considered timely filed if the report is received by the delivery service on or before the mailing/filing deadline. A committee sending its reports by Priority Mail or Priority Express Mail, or by an overnight delivery service, should keep its proof of mailing or other means of transmittal of its reports.

Other means of filing

Reports sent by other means — including first class mail and courier — must be received by the FEC before close of business on the filing deadline. (If the deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, such filers should plan accordingly and file reports by the close of business on the last business day before the filing deadline.) Forms may be downloaded from the FEC's website.

Authorized committees of candidates

House and Senate candidates

All campaigns that have a reporting obligation must file quarterly reports. Generally, an individual becomes a candidate for federal office, thus triggering registration and reporting obligations, when his or her campaign exceeds $5,000 in either contributions received or expenditures made. If the campaign has not exceeded the $5,000 threshold, it is not required to file reports.

Presidential candidates

All presidential committees must file on either a monthly or a quarterly schedule. Presidential committees able to change their reporting schedule and that wish to do so are required to notify the Commission in writing.

State, district and local party committees

State, district and local party committees that engage in reportable “federal election activity” must file on a monthly schedule in 2018. Committees that do not engage in reportable “federal election activity” may file on a quarterly schedule in 2018.

National party committees

National committees of political parties must file on a monthly schedule in 2018.

Other political committees

Political committees (PACs), including separate segregated funds, committees with non-contribution accounts (also sometimes called “Hybrid” PACs), independent expenditure-only committees (Super PACs) and other nonconnected committees that filed on a semi-annual schedule in 2017 must file on a quarterly schedule in 2018. PACs that filed on a monthly schedule in 2017 must continue to file on a monthly schedule in 2018.

Changing filing frequency

PACs may change their filing schedule once a year, but must first notify the Commission in writing (or electronically, if electronic filers). A committee may change its filing frequency only once a year.

The committee will receive a letter from the Commission approving the frequency change.

Additional information

For more information on 2018 reporting dates:

• Call and request the reporting tables from the FEC at 800-424-9530 (menu option 6) or 202-694-1100; or
• Visit the FEC’s dates and deadlines page to view the reporting tables online.