Coordinated communications periods: congressional primaries (2020)
When a person pays for a communication that is coordinated with a candidate, a candidate’s authorized committee, or their agents, or a political party committee or its agents, 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.
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 following chart provides a breakdown of the 90-day coordinated communications (CC) periods for the 2020 congressional primaries.
NOTE: 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 primaries1
State & type of election | Election date | CC period (90-days prior through election date) |
---|---|---|
Alabama Primary* | 03/03/2020 | 12/04/2019 - 03/03/2020 |
Alabama Runoff* | 07/14/20202 | 04/15/2020 - 07/14/2020 |
Alaska Primary* | 08/18/2020 | 05/20/2020 - 08/18/2020 |
American Samoa General | 11/03/2020 | 08/05/2020 - 11/03/2020 |
Arizona Primary * | 08/04/2020 | 05/06/2020 - 08/04/2020 |
Arkansas Primary* | 03/03/2020 | 12/04/2019 - 03/03/2020 |
Arkansas Runoff* (NOT HELD) | 03/31/2020 | 01/01/2020 - 03/31/2020 |
California Primary | 03/03/2020 | 12/04/2019 - 03/03/2020 |
Colorado Primary* | 06/30/2020 | 04/01/2020 - 06/30/2020 |
Connecticut Primary | 08/11/20203 | 05/13/2020 - 08/11/2020 |
Connecticut Convention - Democratic Party | 05/11/20203 | 02/11/2020 - 05/11/2020 |
Connecticut Convention - Republican Party [Dist. # 1] | 05/07/20203 | 02/07/2020 - 05/07/2020 |
Connecticut Convention - Republican Party [Dist. # 2] | 05/11/20203 | 02/11/2020 - 05/11/2020 |
Connecticut Convention - Republican Party [Dist. # 3] | 05/12/20203 | 02/12/2020 - 05/12/2020 |
Connecticut Convention - Republican Party [Dist. # 4] | 05/13/20203 | 02/13/2020 - 05/13/2020 |
Connecticut Convention - Republican Party [Dist. # 5] | 05/14/20203 | 02/14/2020 - 05/14/2020 |
Delaware Primary* | 09/15/2020 | 06/17/2020 - 09/15/2020 |
District of Columbia Primary | 06/02/2020 | 03/04/2020 - 06/02/2020 |
Florida Primary | 08/18/2020 | 05/20/2020 - 08/18/2020 |
Georgia Primary* | 06/09/20204 | 03/11/2020 - 06/09/2020 |
Georgia Runoff* | 08/11/20205 | 05/13/2020 - 08/11/2020 |
Georgia General Runoff* | 01/05/2021 | 10/07/2020 - 01/05/2021 |
Guam Primary | canceled6 | n/a |
Guam General Runoff | 11/17/2020 | 08/19/2020 - 11/17/2020 |
Hawaii Primary | 08/08/2020 | 05/10/2020 - 08/08/2020 |
Idaho Primary* | 06/02/20207 | 03/04/2020 - 06/02/2020 |
Illinois Primary* | 03/17/2020 | 12/18/2019 - 03/17/2020 |
Indiana Primary | 06/02/20203,8 | 03/04/2020 - 06/02/2020 |
Indiana Convention - Libertarian Party | 03/07/20203 | 12/08/2019 - 03/07/2020 |
Iowa Primary* | 06/02/2020 | 03/04/2020 - 06/02/2020 |
Kansas Primary* | 08/04/20203 | 05/06/2020 - 08/04/2020 |
Kansas Convention - Libertarian Party* | 04/18/20203 | 01/19/2020 - 04/18/2020 |
Kentucky Primary* | 06/23/20209 | 03/25/2020 - 06/23/2020 |
Louisiana Primary* | 07/24/202010,11 | 04/25/2020 - 07/24/2020 |
Louisiana General* | 11/03/202010 | 08/05/2020 - 11/03/2020 |
Louisiana General Runoff* | 12/05/202010 | 09/06/2020 - 12/05/2020 |
Maine Primary* | 07/14/202012 | 04/15/2020 - 07/14/2020 |
Maryland Primary | 06/02/20203,13 | 03/04/2020 - 06/02/2020 |
Massachusetts Primary* | 09/01/2020 | 06/03/2020 - 09/01/2020 |
Michigan Primary* | 08/04/20203 | 05/06/2020 - 08/04/2020 |
Michigan Convention - Green Party* | 06/20/20203 | 03/22/2020 - 06/20/2020 |
Michigan Convention - Libertarian Party* | 07/18/20203 | 04/19/2020 - 07/18/2020 |
Michigan Convention - US Taxpayers Party* | 07/25/20203 | 04/26/2020 - 07/25/2020 |
Minnesota Primary* | 08/11/2020 | 05/13/2020 - 08/11/2020 |
Mississippi Primary* | 03/10/2020 | 12/11/2019 - 03/10/2020 |
Mississippi Runoff* | 06/23/202014 | 03/25/2020 - 06/23/2020 |
Missouri Primary | 08/04/2020 | 05/06/2020 - 08/04/2020 |
Montana Primary* | 06/02/2020 | 03/04/2020 - 06/02/2020 |
Nebraska Primary* | 05/12/2020 | 02/12/2020 - 05/12/2020 |
Nevada Primary | 06/09/2020 | 03/11/2020 - 06/09/2020 |
New Hampshire Primary* | 09/08/2020 | 06/10/2020 - 09/08/2020 |
New Jersey Primary* | 07/07/202015 | 04/08/2020 - 07/07/2020 |
New Mexico Primary* | 06/02/2020 | 03/04/2020 - 06/02/2020 |
New York Primary | 06/23/2020 | 03/25/2020 - 06/23/2020 |
North Carolina Primary* | 03/03/2020 | 12/04/2019 - 03/03/2020 |
North Carolina Runoff* | 06/23/202016 | 03/25/2020 - 06/23/2020 |
North Dakota Primary | 06/09/2020 | 03/11/2020 - 06/09/2020 |
Northern Mariana Islands | 11/03/2020 | 08/05/2020 - 11/03/2020 |
Ohio Primary | 04/28/202017 | 01/29/2020 - 04/28/2020 |
Oklahoma Primary* | 06/30/2020 | 04/01/2020 - 06/30/2020 |
Oklahoma Runoff* | 08/25/2020 | 05/27/2020 - 08/25/2020 |
Oregon Primary* | 05/19/20203 | 02/19/2020 - 05/19/2020 |
Oregon Convention - Libertarian Party* | 07/06/20203 | 04/07/2020 - 07/06/2020 |
Oregon Convention - Pacific Green Party* | 06/06/20203 | 03/08/2020 - 06/06/2020 |
Pennsylvania Primary | 06/02/202018 | 03/04/2020 - 06/02/2020 |
Puerto Rico Primary | 08/09/202019 | 05/11/2020 - 08/09/2020 |
Rhode Island Primary* | 09/08/2020 | 06/10/2020 - 09/08/2020 |
South Carolina Primary* | 06/09/20203 | 03/11/2020 - 06/09/2020 |
South Carolina Runoff* (NOT HELD) | 06/23/2020 | 03/25/2020 - 06/23/2020 |
South Carolina Convention - Alliance Party* | 04/18/20203 | 01/19/2020 - 04/18/2020 |
South Carolina Convention - Constitution Party* | 04/18/20203 | 01/19/2020 - 04/18/2020 |
South Carolina Convention - Libertarian Party* | 06/13/20203 | 03/15/2020 - 06/13/2020 |
South Dakota Primary* | 06/02/2020 | 03/04/2020 - 06/02/2020 |
South Dakota Runoff* | 08/11/2020 | 05/13/2020 - 08/11/2020 |
South Dakota Convention - Libertarian Party* | 05/09/2020 | 02/09/2020 - 05/09/2020 |
Tennessee Primary* | 08/06/2020 | 05/08/2020 - 08/06/2020 |
Texas Primary* | 03/03/20203 | 12/04/2019 - 03/03/2020 |
Texas Runoff* | 07/14/202020 | 04/15/2020 - 07/14/2020 |
Texas Convention - Green Party Senate* | 04/18/20203 | 01/19/2020 - 04/18/2020 |
Texas Convention - Libertarian Party Senate* | 08/01/20203,21 | 05/03/2020 - 08/01/2020 |
Texas Convention - Minor Party Single-County [Dist. #s 2-3, 7, 16, 18, 20, 29, 30] | 03/14/20203 | 12/15/2019 - 03/14/2020 |
Texas Convention - Minor Party Multi-County [Dist. #s 1, 4-6, 8-15, 17, 19, 21-28, 31-36] | 03/21/20203 | 12/22/2019 - 03/21/2020 |
Texas Convention - Republican Party [Dist. #4] | 08/08/20203 | 05/10/2020 - 08/08/2020 |
Utah Primary | 06/30/20203 | 04/01/2020 - 06/30/2020 |
Utah Convention - Constitution Party | 04/15/20203 | 01/16/2020 - 04/15/2020 |
Utah Convention - Democratic Party | 04/25/20203 | 01/26/2020 - 04/25/2020 |
Utah Convention - Libertarian Party | 04/25/20203 | 01/26/2020 - 04/25/2020 |
Utah Convention - Republican Party | 04/25/20203 | 01/26/2020 - 04/25/2020 |
Utah Convention - United Utah Party | 04/18/20203 | 01/19/2020 - 04/18/2020 |
Vermont Primary | 08/11/2020 | 05/13/2020 - 08/11/2020 |
Virgin Islands Primary | 08/01/2020 | 05/03/2020 - 08/01/2020 |
Virgin Islands General Runoff (NOT HELD) | 11/17/2020 | 08/19/2020 - 11/17/2020 |
Virginia Primary* | 06/23/20203,22 | 03/25/2020 - 06/23/2020 |
Virginia Convention - Democratic Party [Dist. # 9]* | 05/02/20203 | 02/02/2020 - 05/02/2020 |
Virginia Convention - Republican Party [Dist. # 4]* | 06/27/20203,23 | 03/29/2020 - 06/27/2020 |
Virginia Convention - Republican Party [Dist. # 5]* | 06/13/20203,24 | 03/15/2020 - 06/13/2020 |
Virginia Convention - Republican Party [Dist. # 7]* | 07/18/20203,25 | 04/19/2020 - 07/18/2020 |
Virginia Convention - Republican Party [Dist. # 8]* | 05/30/20203 | 03/01/2020 - 05/30/2020 |
Virginia Convention - Republican Party [Dist. # 10]* | 06/20/20203,26 | 03/22/2020 - 06/20/2020 |
Virginia Convention - Republican Party [Dist. # 11]* | 06/20/20203,27 | 03/22/2020 - 06/20/2020 |
Washington Primary | 08/04/2020 | 05/06/2020 - 08/04/2020 |
West Virginia Primary* | 06/09/20203,28 | 03/11/2020 - 06/09/2020 |
West Virginia Convention - Libertarian Party* | 04/04/20203 | 01/05/2020 - 04/04/2020 |
West Virginia Convention - Mountain Party* | 06/06/20203 | 03/08/2020 - 06/06/2020 |
Wisconsin Primary | 08/11/2020 | 05/13/2020 - 08/11/2020 |
Wyoming Primary* | 08/18/2020 | 05/20/2020 - 08/18/2020 |