Quarterly filers
If a nonconnected committee chooses to file quarterly during an election year, it will submit at least five reports covering its financial activity:
- Three quarterly reports
- One post-general report
- One year-end report
| Report type | Dates covered | Due |
|---|---|---|
|
Quarterly (Form 3X) |
January 1 through March 31 April 1 through June 30 July 1 through September 30 |
April 15 July 15 October 15 |
|
Post-general (Form 3X) |
Close of books of your most recent report through the 20th day after the general election | 30 days after the election |
|
Year-end (Form 3X) |
Close of post-general report through December 31 | January 31 (following year) |
In addition to the five reports listed in the preceding table, the committee may also need to file pre-primary, pre-general and special election reports.
The FEC may waive the filing of a quarterly report if its deadline falls close to a pre-election report’s filing deadline. Check FEC.gov to determine if a report has been waived.
Pre-primary reports
A nonconnected committee must file a pre-primary report if your nonconnected committee makes contributions or expenditures (including independent expenditures) in connection with a primary election during the pre-primary reporting period.
Primary election dates vary by state. A nonconnected committee may need to file several pre-primary reports if it makes contributions or expenditures in connection with candidates in several states.
| Report type | Dates covered | Due |
|---|---|---|
|
Pre-primary (Form 3X) |
Close of books on your most recent report through the 20th day before a primary election |
12 days before election day, or Postmarked 15 days before election day, if using certain paper filing methods |
Example
A nonconnected committee supports a candidate running in a primary on September 7. It makes expenditures supporting that candidate on August 1. They weren’t included in your most recent quarterly report, which was due July 15. Therefore, the nonconnected committee will need to file a pre-primary report.
Pre-general reports
Leading up to a general election, a nonconnected committee must file a pre-general report if it makes contributions or expenditures (including independent expenditures) in connection with that election during the pre-general election reporting period.
| Report type | Dates covered | Due |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-general (Form 3X) | October 1 through the 20th day before the election |
12 days before election day, or Postmarked 15 days before election day, if you file by regsitered, certified or overnight mail |
Special election reports
If a nonconnected committee makes contributions or expenditures (including independent expenditures) in connection with a special election during the special election reporting period, it may need to file a special election report.
| Report type | Dates covered | Due |
|---|---|---|
|
Special election (Form 3X) |
Dates are published in the Federal Register, FEC Record and on FEC.gov | Dates are published in the Federal Register, FEC Record and on FEC.gov |