When an individual or political committee pays for a communication that is coordinated with a candidate or party committee, the communication is considered an in-kind contribution to that candidate or party committee and is subject to the limits, prohibitions and reporting requirements of the federal campaign finance law. FEC regulations establish a three-prong test to determine whether a communication is coordinated. All three prongs of the test—payment, content and conduct—must be met for a communication to be deemed coordinated and thus an in-kind contribution. 11 CFR 109.21.
In response to the DC Court of Appeals decision in Shays v. FEC, the Commission promulgated new regulations on Coordinated Communications. Specifically, these regulations redefine the pre-election time frames used in the content prong of the three-prong coordinated communication test. See 11 CFR 109.21(c)(4)(i) and (ii) and the FEC brochure "Coordinated Communications and Independent Expenditures" [HTML] [PDF] for additional information.
The charts below provide a state-by-state breakdown of the 90- and 120-day coordinated communications periods for Congressional primaries, Presidential primaries, Presidential nominating conventions, the Congressional general election and special elections. For communications that refer to both a party and a clearly identified federal candidate please consult the regulations at 11 CFR 109.21(c)(4)(i)-(iv).
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period (90-days prior through election date) |
---|---|---|
*Alabama Congressional Primary | 06/03/08 |
03/05/08 - 06/03/08 |
|
07/15/08 |
04/16/08 - 07/15/08 |
*Alaska Congressional Primary | 08/26/08 |
05/28/08 - 08/26/08 |
American Samoa Congressional Primary | 11/04/08 |
08/06/08 - 11/04/08 |
Arizona Congressional Primary | 09/02/08 |
06/04/08 - 09/02/08 |
*Arkansas Congressional Primary | 05/20/08 |
02/20/08 - 05/20/08 |
|
06/10/08 |
03/12/08 - 06/10/08 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
California Congressional Primary | 06/03/08 |
03/05/08 - 06/03/08 |
*Colorado Congressional Primary | 08/12/08 |
05/14/08 - 08/12/08 |
Connecticut Congressional Primary | 08/12/08 2 |
05/14/08 - 08/12/08 |
Connecticut Democratic Party Conventions - House | 05/12/08 2 |
02/12/08 - 05/12/08 |
Connecticut Republican Party Conventions - House | 05/10/08 2 |
02/10/08 - 05/10/08 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
*Delaware Congressional Primary | 09/09/08 |
06/11/08 - 09/09/08 |
District of Columbia Congressional Primary | 09/09/08 |
06/11/08 - 09/09/08 |
Florida Congressional Primary | 08/26/08 |
05/28/08 - 08/26/08 |
*Georgia Congressional Primary | 07/15/08 |
04/16/08 - 07/15/08 |
|
08/05/08 |
05/07/08 - 08/05/08 |
|
12/02/08 |
09/03/08 - 12/02/08 |
Guam Congressional Primary | 09/06/08 |
06/08/08 - 09/06/08 |
Hawaii Congressional Primary | 09/20/08 |
06/22/08 - 09/20/08 |
*Idaho Congressional Primary | 05/27/08 |
02/27/08 - 05/27/08 |
*Illinois Congressional Primary | 02/05/08 |
11/07/07 - 02/05/08 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
Indiana Congressional Primary | 05/06/08 2 |
02/06/08 - 05/06/08 |
Indiana Libertarian Party Conventions -- Congressional | 04/26/08 2 |
01/27/08 - 04/26/08 |
*Iowa Congressional Primary | 06/03/08 |
03/05/08 - 06/03/08 |
*Kansas Congressional Primary | 08/05/08 2 |
05/07/08 - 08/05/08 |
*Kentucky Congressional Primary | 05/20/08 |
02/20/08 - 05/20/08 |
*Louisiana Congressional Primary **CANCELED** | 09/06/08 |
06/08/08 - 09/06/08 |
*Louisiana Congressional Primary | 07/06/08 - 10/04/08 | |
|
11/04/08 3 |
08/06/08 - 11/04/08 |
|
12/06/08 3 |
09/07/08 - 12/06/08 |
*Maine Congressional Primary | 06/10/08 |
03/12/08 - 06/10/08 |
Maryland Congressional Primary | 02/12/08 |
11/14/07 - 02/12/08 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
*Massachusetts Congressional Primary | 09/16/08 |
06/18/08 - 09/16/08 |
*Michigan Congressional Primary | 08/05/08 2 |
05/07/08 - 08/05/08 |
*Michigan Green Party Conventions - Congressional | 07/27/08 2 |
04/28/08 - 07/27/08 |
*Michigan Libertarian Party Conventions - Congressional | 06/07/08 2 |
03/09/08 - 06/07/08 |
*Michigan US Taxpayers Party Conventions - Congressional | 05/03/08 2 |
02/03/08 - 05/03/08 |
*Minnesota Congressional Primary | 09/09/08 |
06/10/08 - 09/09/08 |
*Mississippi Congressional Primary | 03/11/08 |
12/12/07 - 03/11/08 |
|
04/01/08 |
01/02/08 - 04/01/08 |
Missouri Congressional Primary | 08/05/08 |
05/07/08 - 08/05/08 |
*Montana Congressional Primary | 06/03/08 |
03/05/08 - 06/03/08 |
*Nebraska Congressional Primary | 05/13/08 |
02/13/08 - 05/13/08 |
Nevada Congressional Primary | 08/12/08 |
05/14/08 - 08/12/08 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
*New Hampshire Congressional Primary | 09/09/08 |
06/11/08 - 09/09/08 |
*New Jersey Congressional Primary | 06/03/08 |
03/05/08 - 06/03/08 |
*New Mexico Congressional Primary | 06/03/08 |
03/05/08 - 06/03/08 |
New York Congressional Primary | 09/09/08 |
06/11/08 - 09/09/08 |
*North Carolina Congressional Primary | 05/06/08 |
02/06/08 - 05/06/08 |
|
06/24/08 |
03/26/08 - 06/24/08 |
North Dakota Congressional Primary | 06/10/08 |
03/12/08 - 06/10/08 |
Ohio Congressional Primary | 03/04/08 |
12/05/07 - 03/04/08 |
*Oklahoma Congressional Primary | 07/29/08 |
04/30/08 - 07/29/08 |
|
08/26/08 |
05/28/08 - 08/26/08 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
*Oregon Congressional Primary | 05/20/08 |
02/20/08 - 05/20/08 |
*Oregon Libertarian Party Convention -- Congressional | 06/01/08 |
03/03/08 - 06/01/08 |
Pennsylvania Congressional Primary | 04/22/08 |
01/23/08 - 04/22/08 |
Puerto Rico Congressional Primary | 03/09/08 |
12/10/07 - 03/09/08 |
*Rhode Island Congressional Primary | 09/09/08 |
06/11/08 - 09/09/08 |
*South Carolina Congressional Primary | 06/10/08 2 |
03/12/08 - 06/10/08 |
|
06/24/08 |
03/26/08 - 06/24/08 |
*South Carolina Constitution Party Conventions -- Congressional | 05/10/08 2 |
02/10/08 - 05/10/08 |
*South Carolina Green Party Conventions -- Congressional | 05/03/08 2 |
02/03/08 - 05/03/08 |
*South Carolina Working Families Party Conventions -- Congressional | 05/10/08 2 |
02/10/08 - 05/10/08 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
*South Dakota Congressional Primary | 06/03/08 |
03/05/08 - 06/03/08 |
|
06/17/08 |
03/19/08 - 06/17/08 |
*Tennessee Congressional Primary | 08/07/08 |
05/09/08 - 08/07/08 |
*Texas Congressional Primary | 03/04/08 2 |
12/05/07 - 03/04/08 |
|
04/08/08 |
01/09/08 - 04/08/08 |
*Texas Minor Party Senate Convention |
06/14/08 2 |
03/16/08 - 06/14/08 |
Texas House -- Minor Party Convention [Dist. #s 7, 16, 18, 20, 29, 30, 32] |
03/15/08 2 |
12/16/07 - 03/15/08 |
Texas House -- Minor Party Convention [Dist. #s 1-6, 8-15, 17, 19, 21-28, 31] |
03/22/08 2 |
12/23/07 - 03/22/08 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
Utah Congressional Primary | 06/24/08 2 |
03/26/08 - 06/24/08 |
Utah Constitution Party Congressional Convention | 04/19/08 2 |
01/20/08 - 04/19/08 |
Utah Democratic Party Congressional Convention | 05/10/08 2 |
02/10/08 - 05/10/08 |
Utah Libertarian Party Congressional Convention | 04/19/08 2 |
01/20/08 - 04/19/08 |
Utah Republican Party Congressional Convention | 05/10/08 2 |
02/10/08 - 05/10/08 |
Vermont Congressional Primary | 09/09/08 |
06/11/08 - 09/09/08 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
Virgin Islands Congressional Primary | 09/13/08 |
06/15/08 - 09/13/08 |
*Virginia Congressional Primary | 06/10/08 2 |
03/12/08 - 06/10/08 |
Virginia Senate Convention -- Republican Party | 05/31/08 2 | 03/02/08 - 05/31/08 |
Virginia Democratic Party Congressional Conventions [Dist. #s 1, 4, 5 & 9] | 05/17/08 2 |
02/17/08 - 05/17/08 |
Virginia Democratic Party Congressional Convention [Dist. #6] | 05/24/08 2 |
02/24/08 - 05/24/08 |
Virginia Republican Party Congressional Convention [Dist. #3] | 05/17/08 2 |
02/17/08 - 05/17/08 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
Washington Congressional Primary | 08/19/08 |
05/21/08 - 08/19/08 |
*West Virginia Congressional Primary | 05/13/08 2 |
02/13/08 - 05/13/08 |
*Wisconsin Congressional Primary | 09/09/08 |
06/11/08 - 09/09/08 |
*Wyoming Congressional Primary | 08/19/08 |
05/21/08 - 08/19/08 |
* States holding 2008 Senate elections.
1 Election dates are subject to change. This chart will be updated as additional information becomes available.
2 In Connecticut and Utah, conventions are held by the political parties prior to the primary. In Virginia, parties may choose to nominate by convention rather than by primary election. (In other states, such as Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia, it is possible that minor parties may schedule conventions to nominate candidates.)
3 If a Primary Runoff Election is necessary, it will be held on November 4, 2008. The General Election will instead be held on December 6, 2008, in the affected Congressional Districts.
Special Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
---|---|---|
General Election | 11/04/08 |
08/06/08 - 11/04/08 |
Alabama-Colorado
Connecticut-Guam
Hawaii-Kentucky
Louisiana-Missouri
Montana-New York
North Carolina-Rhode Island
South Carolina-Virgin Islands
Virginia-Wyoming
4 Because delegate selection rules vary by state and by party, some Presidential election, caucus and convention dates are not yet available, and the published dates are subject to change. In some states, for example, one or both major parties intend to hold caucuses but have not finalized their plans. To account for these and other similar situations, this chart will be updated as additional information becomes available.
Special Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
---|---|---|
California 12th District Special General |
04/08/08 |
01/09/08 - 04/08/08 |
California 12th District Special General Runoff |
06/03/08 |
03/05/08 - 06/03/08 |
Illinois 14th District Special Primary |
02/05/08 |
11/07/07 - 02/05/08 |
Illinois 14th District Special General |
03/08/08 |
12/09/07 - 03/08/08 |
Indiana 7th District Special General |
03/11/08 |
12/12/07 - 03/11/08 |
Louisiana 1st District Special Primary |
03/08/08 |
12/09/07 - 03/08/08 |
Louisiana 1st District Special Primary Runoff |
04/05/08 5 |
01/06/08 - 04/05/08 |
Louisiana 1st District Special General |
04/05/08 5 |
01/06/08 - 04/05/08 |
Louisiana 1st District Special General |
05/03/08 5 |
02/03/08 - 05/03/08 |
Louisiana 6th District Special Primary |
03/08/08 |
12/09/07 - 03/08/08 |
Louisiana 6th District Special Primary Runoff |
04/05/08 5 |
01/06/08 - 04/05/08 |
Louisiana 6th District Special General |
04/05/08 5 |
01/06/08 - 04/05/08 |
Louisiana 6th District Special General |
05/03/08 5 |
02/03/08 - 05/03/08 |
Maryland 4th District Special General |
06/17/08 |
03/19/08 - 06/17/08 |
Mississippi Senate Special General |
11/04/08 |
08/06/08 - 11/04/08 |
Mississippi Senate Special General Runoff |
11/25/08 |
08/27/08 - 11/25/08 |
Mississippi 1st District Special General |
04/22/08 |
01/23/08 - 04/22/08 |
Mississippi 1st District Special General Runoff |
05/13/08 |
02/13/08 - 05/13/08 |
Ohio 11th District Special Primary |
10/14/08 |
07/16/08 - 10/14/08 |
Ohio 11th District Special General |
11/18/08 |
08/20/08 - 11/18/08 |
5 In the event that Special Runoff Elections are NOT necessary, the Special General Election will be held on April 5, 2008, instead of May 3, 2008.