THREAD:
1) It has come to my attention that some people may not understand the rules regarding donations to US election campaigns, so here’s the short version of the rules pertaining to individual donations from people (as opposed to corporations) for a federal election...
1) It has come to my attention that some people may not understand the rules regarding donations to US election campaigns, so here’s the short version of the rules pertaining to individual donations from people (as opposed to corporations) for a federal election...
2) (for example, running for the US House of Representatives). Any US citizen or green card holder, no matter where in the world they live, may donate up to $2,800 per candidate, per election. There is no minimum donation requirement (my campaign, for example, has received...
3) donations for as little as $1.00). A primary counts as one election, and a general election is separate – so, in an election cycle that has both, up to $5,600 can be donated, but any amount over the first $2,800 per candidate must be earmarked as being intended for use in...
4) the general election, and must be refunded to the donor if that candidate loses in the primary. A donation of less than $2800 that is not specifically earmarked by the donor as being for a particular election is considered earmarked for the next upcoming election.
5) The candidate can donate as much (or as little) as they like to their own campaign, and can also make loans to the campaign without restriction. Once a candidate has raised OR spent at least $5,000 on their campaign, they must register with the Federal...
6) Election Commission (FEC) as an official candidate, and must file quarterly and year-end reports regarding donations received, debts incurred (if any), and expenses paid (Note: most online donation collections agents, such as ActBlue,...
7) require that a candidate be registered with the FEC before an account can be opened with the agent, so a candidate having registered with the FEC does not necessarily mean that they have raised or spent that minimum $5,000 yet).
8) Once reports are required, any single donation of $200 or more has to be itemized in the candidate’s quarterly or year-end report to the FEC, while any single donation of $1,000 or more has to be reported to the FEC within 48 hours of the candidate’s having received it.
9) A donation made through a candidate’s donation collections agent, like ActBlue, is considered by the FEC to have been received by the candidate immediately. A candidate is required to report each donation received; itemization means that the report becomes a...
10) searchable public record. For each report made, the candidate is required to list, for each donation reported, the donor’s name, address, amount of the particular donation being reported, and the total amount the donor has donated to the candidate in the election cycle.
11) The candidate is also required to obtain at least one additional means of contacting the donor – usually email address or phone number – in case there is a question regarding the donation. The FEC also requests that candidates collect information regarding their...
12) donors’ employment, including their occupations and the name and address of their employers. That’s it. Hope that helps!
13) Now that you know the rules, want to exercise them? Feel free to chip in and help me flip Wisconsin’s Sixth District back to blue by clicking below and donating to my campaign! Thanks! :)
secure.actblue.com/donate/washbur…
secure.actblue.com/donate/washbur…
