What's in a name?

Variations in the way committees list an individual's name on their FEC reports can create inconsistencies in the public record. To address this concern, the Commission has standardized listings for individuals' names in the latest version of FECPrint, the electronic filing tool that generates images of FEC reporting forms. The new format lists an individual's last name, first name, middle name, prefix, and suffix. For instance, Dr. John Q. Public, Sr. would appear on the FECPrint form as Public, John, Q., Dr., Sr.. Commas appear between each data field regardless of the content, so John Public, Jr. would be listed as Public, John, , , Jr.. The new format should improve the consistency of FEC data.