Post-General reporting reminder (2024)

The 30-Day Post-General report is due on December 5, 2024. The Post-General report covers activity from October 17 (or from the close of books of the last report filed) through November 25. The following committees must file this report:

• All registered PACsand 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 committeesof federal candidates running in the general election, including committees of unopposed candidates. Note that because the reporting period for the Post-General report spans two election cycles, candidate committees must use the Post-Election Detailed Summary Page instead of the normal Detailed Summary Page.

Reporting help is always just a phone call away at 800-424-9530. Select option 4 for technical assistance with electronic filing, option 5 to speak with the analyst who reviews your committee's reports or option 6 to speak with an Information Specialist. You can also submit a question for your analyst online.

The Commission will host a reporting workshop and webinar for candidate committees on November 20 to help filers prepare their reports and wind down their campaigns.

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. (Paper filers should be aware that submitting a webform obligates them to file electronically for the balance of the calendar year.)

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, political committeesand other persons required to file reports with the Commission that receive contributionsor 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 must be filed in version 8.4 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. 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 - must be received by the FEC before close of business on the filing deadline. Forms may be downloaded from the FEC's website. Reports submitted by first-class mail will be considered filed when actually received by Commission staff, subject to delays resulting from the agency's limited mail processing. The FEC does not have statutory authority to extend filing deadlines, but it may choose not to pursue administrative fines against filers prevented from filing by reasonably unforeseen circumstances beyond their control.

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 their 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 principal campaign committees of presidential candidates must file on either a monthly or a quarterly schedule in 2024. If on January 1, 2024, the committee had received or anticipated receiving contributions aggregating $100,000, or had made or anticipated making expenditures aggregating $100,000, the committee files monthly reports in 2024. Committees which did not anticipate or have not exceeded the $100,000 thresholds file quarterly reports in 2024. Presidential committees able to change their reporting schedule and that wish to do so are required to notify the Commission in writing. Committees of Presidential candidates who are no longer participating in the election that have exceeded the $100,000 threshold must submit a filing frequency change request if they wish to file on a quarterly schedule; otherwise, they must file on a monthly schedule.

Candidates with more than one authorized committee

If a candidate has more than one authorized committee, the principal campaign committeefiles, with its own report (FEC Form 3 or 3P), a consolidated report of receipts and disbursements (FEC Form 3Z) showing its own activity as well as the activity of all other authorized committees of the candidate.

Note: A pending rulemaking could eliminate the requirement to file FEC Form 3Z. Until final rules are promulgated and effective, this requirement remains in place for affected campaigns.

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 2024. Committees that do not engage in reportable "federal election activity" may file on a quarterly schedule in 2024.

National party committees

National committees of political parties must file on a monthly schedule in 2024.

Other political committees

Other political committees (PACs), including separate segregated funds, committees with non-contribution accounts (Hybrid PACs), independent expenditure-only committees (Super PACs) and other nonconnected committeesthat filed on a semi-annual basis in 2023 file on a quarterly basis in 2024. Monthly filers continue on the monthly schedule.

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 per calendar year.

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

Additional information

For more information on 2024 reporting dates:

Citations

Regulations

11 CFR 100.3(a)
Definition of candidate

11 CFR 100.5
Political committee

11 CFR 100.19
Timely filed reports; electronically filed reports

11 CFR 100.29(a)
Definition of electioneering communication

11 CFR 102.2
Email on Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1)

11 CFR 104.1(a)
Treasurer must file reports

11 CFR 104.3(f)
Contents of reports

11 CFR 104.5(a)-(f), (h) and (i)
Filing dates for candidates; filing dates for committees that are not authorized committees of candidates; date of filing; 48-hour notice of contributions; special election reports; retaining proof of mailing

11 CFR 104.7
Treasurer must use "best efforts"

11 CFR 104.14(a), (d)
Treasurer's Responsibilities

11 CFR 104.18(a)(1)-(2) and (e)
Mandatory electronic filing and validation program

Resources

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