Coordinated Communications Periods for 2018
When a person 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.
One provision identifies certain pre-election time frames during which a public communication that references a candidate will satisfy the content prong of the coordination test.
The charts below provide a state-by-state breakdown of the 90-day coordinated communications periods for Congressional primaries, 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).
Coordinated Communications Periods for Congressional Primaries 1
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
---|---|---|
Alabama Primary | 06/05/18 |
03/07/18 - 06/05/18 |
|
07/17/18 |
04/18/18 - 07/17/18 |
Alaska Primary | 08/21/18 |
05/23/18 - 08/21/18 |
American Samoa General | 11/06/18 |
08/08/18 - 11/06/18 |
*Arizona Primary | 08/28/18 |
05/30/18 - 08/28/18 |
Arkansas Primary | 05/22/18 |
02/21/18 - 05/22/18 |
|
06/19/18 |
03/21/18 - 06/19/18 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
*California Primary | 06/05/18 |
03/07/18 - 06/05/18 |
Colorado Primary | 06/26/18 |
03/28/18 - 06/26/18 |
*Connecticut Primary |
08/14/18 2 |
05/16/18 - 08/14/18 |
Connecticut Democratic Party Conventions -- House | 05/14/18 2 |
02/13/18 - 05/14/18 |
*Connecticut Democratic Party Conventions -- Senate | 05/18/18 2 |
02/17/18 - 05/18/18 |
*Connecticut Republican Party Conventions -- House & Senate | 05/11/18 2 |
02/10/18 - 05/11/18 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
*Delaware Primary | 09/06/18 |
06/08/18 - 09/06/18 |
District of Columbia Primary | 06/19/18 |
03/21/18 - 06/19/18 |
*Florida Primary | 08/28/18 |
05/30/18 - 08/28/18 |
Georgia Primary | 05/22/18 |
02/21/18 - 05/22/18 |
|
07/24/18 |
04/25/18 - 07/24/18 |
|
01/08/19 |
10/10/18 - 01/08/19 |
Guam Primary | 08/25/18 |
05/27/18 - 08/25/18 |
|
11/20/18 |
08/22/18 - 11/20/18 |
*Hawaii Primary | 08/11/18 |
05/13/18 - 08/11/18 |
Idaho Primary | 05/15/18 |
02/14/18 - 05/15/18 |
Illinois Primary | 03/20/18 |
12/20/17 - 03/20/18 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
*Indiana Primary | 05/08/18 2 |
02/07/18 - 05/08/18 |
*Indiana Conventionn - Libertarian Party | 05/05/18 2 |
02/04/18 - 05/05/18 |
Iowa Primary | 06/05/18 |
03/07/18 - 06/05/18 |
Kansas Primary | 08/07/18 2 |
05/09/18 - 08/07/18 |
Kansas Convention - Libertarian Party | 04/22/18 2 |
01/22/18 - 04/22/18 |
Kentucky Primary | 05/22/18 |
02/21/18 - 05/22/18 |
Louisiana Primary |
07/20/18 3 |
04/21/18 - 07/20/18 |
|
11/06/18 3 |
08/08/18 - 11/06/18 |
|
12/08/18 3 |
09/09/18 - 12/08/18 |
*Maine Primary | 06/12/18 |
03/14/18 - 06/12/18 |
*Maryland Primary | 06/26/18 2 |
03/28/18 - 06/26/18 |
*Maryland Convention - Green Party | 04/30/18 2 |
01/30/18 - 04/30/18 |
*Maryland Convention - Libertarian Party | 03/10/18 2 |
12/10/17 - 03/10/18 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
*Massachusetts Primary | 09/04/18 |
06/06/18 - 09/04/18 |
*Michigan Primary | 08/07/18 2 |
05/09/18 - 08/07/18 |
*Michigan Conventions | TBA 2 |
TBA |
*Minnesota Primary | 08/14/18 |
05/16/18 - 08/14/18 |
*Mississippi Primary | 06/05/18 |
03/07/18 - 06/05/18 |
|
06/26/18 |
03/28/18 - 06/26/18 |
*Missouri Primary | 08/07/18 |
05/09/18 - 08/07/18 |
*Montana Primary | 06/05/18 |
03/07/18 - 06/05/18 |
*Nebraska Primary | 05/15/18 |
02/14/18 - 05/15/18 |
*Nevada Primary | 06/12/18 |
03/14/18 - 06/12/18 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
New Hampshire Primary | 09/11/18 |
06/13/18 - 09/11/18 |
*New Jersey Primary | 06/05/18 |
03/07/18 - 06/05/18 |
*New Mexico Primary | 06/05/18 |
03/07/18 - 06/05/18 |
*New York Primary | 06/26/18 |
03/28/18 - 06/26/18 |
North Carolina Primary | 05/08/18 |
02/07/18 - 05/08/18 |
|
07/17/18 |
04/18/18 - 07/17/18 |
*North Dakota Primary | 06/12/18 |
03/14/18 - 06/12/18 |
Northern Mariana Islands General | 11/06/18 |
08/08/18 - 11/06/18 |
*Ohio Primary | 05/08/18 |
02/07/18 - 05/08/18 |
Oklahoma Primary | 06/26/18 |
03/28/18 - 06/26/18 |
|
08/28/18 |
05/30/18 - 08/28/18 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
Oregon Primary | 05/15/18 2 |
02/14/18 - 05/15/18 |
Oregon Conventions | TBA 2 |
TBA |
*Pennsylvania Primary | 05/15/18 |
02/14/18 - 05/15/18 |
Puerto Rico Primary | (no federal elections held in 2018) |
|
*Rhode Island Primary | 09/12/18 |
06/14/18 - 09/12/18 |
South Carolina Primary | 06/12/18 2 |
03/14/18 - 06/12/18 |
|
06/26/18 |
03/28/18 - 06/26/18 |
South Carolina Conventions | TBA 2 |
TBA |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
South Dakota Primary | 06/05/18 |
03/07/18 - 06/05/18 |
|
08/14/18 |
05/16/18 - 08/14/18 |
*Tennessee Primary | 08/02/18 |
05/04/18 - 08/02/18 |
*Texas Primary | 03/06/18 2 |
12/06/17 - 03/06/18 |
|
05/22/18 |
02/21/18 - 05/22/18 |
*Texas Senate Convention - Minor Party | 04/14/18 2 |
01/14/18 - 04/14/18 |
Texas Convention -- Minor Party [Single County Districts # 2, 3, 7, 16, 18, 20, 29, 30] |
03/17/18 2 |
12/17/17 - 03/17/18 |
Texas Convention -- Minor Party [Multi-County Districts # 1, 4-6, 8-15, 17, 19, 21-28, 31-36] |
03/24/18 2 |
12/24/17 - 03/24/18 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
*Utah
Primary |
06/26/18 2 |
03/28/18 - 06/26/18 |
*Utah Convention -- Constitution Party | TBA 2 |
TBA |
*Utah Convention -- Democratic Party | 04/28/18 2 |
01/28/18 - 04/28/18 |
*Utah Convention -- Green Party | 04/21/18 2 |
01/21/18 - 04/21/18 |
*Utah Convention -- Independent American Party | 04/21/18 2 |
01/21/18 - 04/21/18 |
*Utah Convention -- Libertarian Party | 04/14/18 2 |
01/14/18 - 04/14/18 |
*Utah Convention -- Republican Party | 04/21/18 2 |
01/21/18 - 04/21/18 |
*Utah Convention -- United Utah Party | 04/28/18 2 |
01/28/18 - 04/28/18 |
*Vermont Primary | 08/14/18 |
05/16/18 - 08/14/18 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
Virgin Islands Primary |
08/04/18 |
05/06/18 - 08/04/18 |
|
11/20/18 |
08/22/18 - 11/20/18 |
*Virginia Primary | 06/12/18 2 |
03/14/18 - 06/12/18 |
Virginia Convention -- Democratic Party [Dist. #5] | 05/05/18 2 |
02/04/18 - 05/05/18 |
Virginia Convention -- Republican Party [Dist. #3] | 05/05/18 2 |
02/04/18 - 05/05/18 |
Virginia Convention -- Republican Party [Dist. #5] | 04/28/18 2 |
01/28/18 - 04/28/18 |
Virginia Convention -- Republican Party [Dist. #6] | 05/19/18 2 |
02/18/18 - 05/19/18 |
Virginia Convention -- Republican Party [Dist. #7] | 05/05/18 2 |
02/04/18 - 05/05/18 |
Virginia Convention -- Republican Party [Dist. #8] | 04/28/18 2 |
01/28/18 - 04/28/18 |
State & Type of Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
*Washington Primary | 08/07/18 |
05/09/18 - 08/07/18 |
*West Virginia Primary | 05/08/18 2 |
02/07/18 - 05/08/18 |
*West Virginia Conventions | TBA 2 |
TBA |
*Wisconsin Primary | 08/14/18 |
05/16/18 - 08/14/18 |
*Wyoming Primary | 08/21/18 |
05/23/18 - 08/21/18 |
* States holding 2018 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 West Virginia, it is possible that minor parties may schedule conventions to nominate candidates.)
3 In AO 2000-29 [PDF], the Commission determined that the last day to qualify for a position on the general election ballot in Louisiana--in this case 07/20/18--must be considered the primary election date for Louisiana candidates. See 11 CFR 100.2(c)(4)(i). The election for candidates seeking federal office is the general election scheduled for 11/06/18. Additionally, under state law if no candidate in the 11/06/18 general election receives over 50 percent of the vote, a runoff election will be held on 12/08/18.
Coordinated Communications Period for the General Election
Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
|
---|---|---|
General Election | 11/06/18 |
08/08/18 - 11/06/18 |
Coordinated Communications Periods for Special Elections
Special Election | Election Date |
Coordinated Communications Period |
---|---|---|
Arizona 8th Congressional District Special Primary |
02/27/18 |
11/19/17 - 02/27/18 |
Arizona 8th Congressional District Special General |
04/24/18 |
01/24/18 - 04/24/18 |
Michigan 13th Congressional District Special Primary |
08/07/18 |
05/09/18 - 08/07/18 |
Michigan 13th Congressional District Special General |
11/06/18 |
08/08/18 - 11/06/18 |
Mississippi Senate Special General |
11/06/18 |
08/08/18 - 11/06/18 |
Mississippi Senate Special General Runoff |
11/27/18 |
08/29/18 - 11/27/18 |
New York 25th Congressional District Special General |
11/06/18 |
08/08/18 - 11/06/18 |
Ohio 12th Congressional District Special Primary |
05/08/18 |
02/07/18 - 05/08/18 |
Ohio 12th Congressional District Special General |
08/07/18 |
05/09/18 - 08/07/18 |
Pennsylvania 7th Congressional District Special General |
11/06/18 |
08/08/18 - 11/06/18 |
Pennsylvania 15th Congressional District Special General |
11/06/18 |
08/08/18 - 11/06/18 |
Pennsylvania 18th Congressional District Special General |
03/13/18 |
12/13/17 - 03/13/18 |
Texas 27th Congressional District Special General |
06/30/18 |
04/01/18 - 06/30/18 |