Elections & terms
Federal Election Commission
The agency that administers and enforces federal campaign finance law. Six commissioners, no more than three from one party, so four votes are needed to act.
In full
The FEC collects and publishes disclosure reports, writes campaign finance regulations, and enforces the law. Its even-numbered, evenly split structure was designed to prevent partisan targeting and frequently produces deadlock instead, so significant enforcement matters often end without action. Its public database remains the authoritative record of federal campaign money.
Also written as: FEC
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.