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-day coordinated communications periods for Congressional primaries, 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 Primary | 06/01/10 |
03/03/10 - 06/01/10 |
|
07/13/10 |
04/14/10 - 07/13/10 |
| * Alaska Primary | 08/24/10 |
05/26/10 - 08/24/10 |
| American Samoa General | 11/02/10 |
08/04/10 - 11/02/10 |
| * Arizona Primary | 08/24/10 |
05/26/10 - 08/24/10 |
| * Arkansas Primary | 05/18/10 |
02/17/10 - 05/18/10 |
|
06/08/10 |
03/10/10 - 06/08/10 |
| *California Primary | 06/08/10 |
03/10/10 - 06/08/10 |
| * Colorado Primary | 08/10/10 |
05/12/10 - 08/10/10 |
| Connecticut Primary | 08/10/10 2 |
05/12/10 - 08/10/10 |
| Connecticut Convention -- Democratic Party (House) | 05/10/10 2 |
02/09/10 - 05/10/10 |
| Connecticut Convention -- Democratic Party (Senate) |
05/21/10 2 |
02/20/10 - 05/21/10 |
| Connecticut Convention -- Republican Party (House/Senate) |
05/21/10 2 |
02/20/10 - 05/21/10 |
| State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period (90-days prior through election date) |
| * Delaware Primary | 09/14/10 |
06/16/10 - 09/14/10 |
| District of Columbia Primary | 09/14/10 |
06/16/10 - 09/14/10 |
| * Florida Primary | 08/24/10 |
05/26/10 - 08/24/10 |
| * Georgia Primary | 07/20/10 |
04/21/10 - 07/20/10 |
|
08/10/10 |
05/12/10 - 08/10/10 |
|
11/30/10 |
09/01/10 - 11/30/10 |
| Guam Primary | 09/04/10 |
06/06/10 - 09/04/10 |
|
11/16/10 |
08/18/10 - 11/16/10 |
| * Hawaii Primary | 09/18/10 |
06/20/10 - 09/18/10 |
| * Idaho Primary | 05/25/10 |
02/24/10 - 05/25/10 |
| * Illinois Primary | 02/02/10 |
11/04/09 - 02/02/10 |
| * Indiana Primary | 05/04/10 2 |
02/03/10 - 05/04/10 |
| * Indiana Convention -- Democratic Party (Senate) | 05/15/10 2 |
02/14/10 - 05/15/10 |
| * Indiana Convention -- Libertarian Party | 04/24/10 2 |
01/24/10 - 04/24/10 |
| * Iowa Primary | 06/08/10 |
03/10/10 - 06/08/10 |
| State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period (90-days prior through election date) |
| * Kansas Primary | 08/03/10 2 |
05/05/10 - 08/03/10 |
| Kansas Convention -- Libertarian Party | 04/24/10 2 |
01/24/10 - 04/24/10 |
| Kansas Convention -- Reform Party | 05/29/10 2 |
02/28/10 - 05/29/10 |
| * Kentucky Primary | 05/18/10 |
02/17/10 - 05/18/10 |
| * Louisiana Primary | 05/30/10 - 08/28/10 | |
|
07/04/10 - 10/02/10 | |
| Maine Primary | 06/08/10 |
03/10/10 - 06/08/10 |
| * Maryland Primary | 09/14/10 2 |
06/16/10 - 09/14/10 |
| * Maryland Convention -- Constitution Party | 07/17/10 2 |
04/18/10 - 07/17/10 |
| * Maryland Convention -- Green Party | 05/22/10 2 |
02/21/10 - 05/22/10 |
| State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period (90-days prior through election date) |
| Massachusetts Primary | 09/14/10 |
06/16/10 - 09/14/10 |
| Michigan Primary | 08/03/10 2 |
05/05/10 - 08/03/10 |
| Michigan Convention -- Green Party | 08/01/10 2 |
05/03/10 - 08/01/10 |
| Michigan Convention -- Libertarian Party |
05/22/10 2 |
02/21/10 - 05/22/10 |
| Michigan Convention -- U.S. Taxpayers Party | 06/26/10 2 |
03/28/10 - 06/26/10 |
| Minnesota Primary | 08/10/10 |
05/12/10 - 08/10/10 |
| Mississippi Primary | 06/01/10 |
03/03/10 - 06/01/10 |
|
06/22/10 |
03/24/10 - 06/22/10 |
| * Missouri Primary | 08/03/10 |
05/05/10 - 08/03/10 |
| Montana Primary | 06/08/10 |
03/10/10 - 06/08/10 |
| Nebraska Primary | 05/11/10 |
02/10/10 - 05/11/10 |
| * Nevada Primary | 06/08/10 |
03/10/10 - 06/08/10 |
| State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period (90-days prior through election date) |
| * New Hampshire Primary | 09/14/10 |
06/16/10 - 09/14/10 |
| New Jersey Primary | 06/08/10 |
03/10/10 - 06/08/10 |
| New Mexico Primary | 06/01/10 |
03/03/10 - 06/01/10 |
| * New York Primary | 09/14/10 |
06/16/10 - 09/14/10 |
| * North Carolina Primary | 05/04/10 |
02/03/10 - 05/04/10 |
|
06/22/10 |
03/24/10 - 06/22/10 |
| * North Dakota Primary | 06/08/10 |
03/10/10 - 06/08/10 |
| Northern Mariana Islands General | 11/02/10 |
08/04/10 - 11/02/10 |
| * Ohio Primary | 05/04/10 |
02/03/10 - 05/04/10 |
| * Oklahoma Primary | 07/27/10 |
04/28/10 - 07/27/10 |
|
08/24/10 |
05/26/10 - 08/24/10 |
| State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period (90-days prior through election date) |
| * Oregon Primary | 05/18/10 2 |
02/17/10 - 05/18/10 |
| * Oregon Convention -- Constitution Party | 06/26/10 2 |
03/28/10 - 06/26/10 |
| * Oregon Convention -- Independent Party | 07/30/10 2 |
05/01/10 - 07/30/10 |
| * Oregon Convention -- Libertarian Party | 06/12/10 2 |
03/14/10 - 06/12/10 |
| * Oregon Convention -- Pacific Green Party | 01/16/10 2 |
10/18/09- 01/16/10 |
| * Pennsylvania Primary | 05/18/10 |
02/17/10 - 05/18/10 |
| Puerto Rico Primary | (no federal elections held in 2010) |
|
| Rhode Island Primary | 09/14/10 |
06/16/10 - 09/14/10 |
| State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period (90-days prior through election date) |
| * South Carolina Primary | 06/08/10 2 |
03/10/10 - 06/08/10 |
|
03/24/10 - 06/22/10 | |
| * South Carolina Convention -- Constitution Party | 05/15/10 2 |
02/14/10 - 05/15/10 |
| * South Carolina Convention -- Independence Party | 05/15/10 2 |
02/14/10 - 05/15/10 |
| * South Carolina Convention -- Green Party | 05/01/10 2 |
01/31/10 - 05/01/10 |
| * South Carolina Convention -- Libertarian Party | 04/17/10 2 |
01/17/10 - 04/17/10 |
| * South Carolina Convention -- United Citizens Party | 03/20/10 2 |
12/20/09 - 03/20/10 |
| * South Carolina Convention -- Working Families Party | 05/15/10 2 |
02/14/10 - 05/15/10 |
| * South Dakota Primary | 06/08/10 |
03/10/10 - 06/08/10 |
|
06/29/10 |
03/31/10 - 06/29/10 |
| State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period (90-days prior through election date) |
| Tennessee Primary | 08/05/10 |
05/07/10 - 08/05/10 |
| Texas Primary | 03/02/10 2 |
12/02/09 - 03/02/10 |
|
04/13/10 |
01/13/10 - 04/13/10 |
| Texas House -- Minor Party Convention [Dist. #s 7, 16, 18, 20, 29, 30, 32] |
03/13/10 2 |
12/13/09 - 03/13/10 |
| Texas House -- Minor Party Convention [Dist. #s 1-6, 8-15, 17, 19, 21-28, 31] |
03/20/10 2 |
12/20/09 - 03/20/10 |
| * Utah Primary | 06/22/10 2 |
03/24/10 - 06/22/10 |
| * Utah Convention -- Constitution Party | 05/08/10 2 |
02/07/10 - 05/08/10 |
| * Utah Convention -- Democratic Party | 05/08/10 2 |
02/07/10 - 05/08/10 |
| * Utah Convention -- Libertarian Party | 05/15/10 2 |
02/14/10 - 05/15/10 |
| * Utah Convention -- Republican Party | 05/08/10 2 |
02/07/10 - 05/08/10 |
| * Vermont Primary | 08/24/10 |
05/26/10 - 08/24/10 |
| Virgin Islands Primary | 09/11/10 |
06/13/10 - 09/11/10 |
|
11/16/10 |
08/18/10 - 11/16/10 |
| State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period (90-days prior through election date) |
| Virginia Primary | 06/08/10 2 |
03/10/10 - 06/08/10 |
| Virginia Convention -- Democratic Party [District #s 1 & 2] |
05/08/10 2 |
02/07/10 - 05/08/10 |
| Virginia Convention -- Democratic Party [District #5] |
06/05/10 2 |
03/07/10 - 06/05/10 |
| Virginia Convention -- Democratic Party [District #s 7 & 9] |
05/15/10 2 |
02/14/10 - 05/15/10 |
| Virginia Convention -- Republican Party [District #s 3 & 9] |
05/22/10 2 |
02/21/10 - 05/22/10 |
| * Washington Primary | 08/17/10 |
05/19/10 - 08/17/10 |
| West Virginia Primary | 05/11/10 2 |
02/10/10 - 05/11/10 |
| * Wisconsin Primary | 09/14/10 |
06/16/10 - 09/14/10 |
| Wyoming Primary | 08/17/10 |
05/19/10 - 08/17/10 |
| Wyoming Convention -- Libertarian Party | 04/24/10 2 |
01/24/10 - 04/24/10 |
* States holding 2010 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, Maryland, Michigan, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Wyoming, it is possible that minor parties may schedule conventions to nominate candidates.)
| Special Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period
(90-days prior |
|---|---|---|
| General Election | 11/02/10 |
08/04/10 - 11/02/10 |
