Post-general reporting reminder

The 30-day Post-General Election report is due on December 7. The Post-General Election report covers activity from October 19 (or from the close of books of the last report filed) through November 27. The following committees must file this report:

• All registered PACs and party committees—even committees with little or no activity to disclose. Monthly filers must submit this report in lieu of the December monthly report.¹
• Authorized committees of federal candidates running in the general election, including committees of unopposed candidates. Note that because the reporting period for the Post-General Election report spans two election cycles, candidate committees must use the Post-Election Detailed Summary Page (FEC Form 3, Pages 5-8) instead of the normal Detailed Summary Page.

Filing electronically

Under the Commission’s mandatory electronic filing regulations, individuals and organizations that receive contributions or make expenditures, including independent expenditures,² in excess of $50,000 in a calendar year—or have reason to expect to do so—must file all reports and statements with the FEC electronically. Electronic filers who instead file on paper or submit an electronic report that does not pass the Commission’s validation program will be considered nonfilers and may be subject to enforcement actions, including administrative fines. Reports filed electronically must be received and verified by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the December 7 filing date.

Senate committees and other committees that file with the Secretary of the Senate are not subject to the mandatory electronic filing rules, but may file an unofficial copy of their reports with the Commission in order to speed disclosure.

Timely filing for paper filers

Registered and certified mail

Reports sent via registered or certified mail must be postmarked on or before December 7 to be considered timely filed. Please note that a certificate of mailing from the U.S. Postal Service is not sufficient to prove that a report is timely filed. A committee sending its reports by certified mail should keep its mailing receipt with the U.S. Postal Service postmark as proof of filing because the U.S. Postal Service does not keep complete records of items sent by certified mail. A committee sending its reports by registered mail should also keep its proof of mailing or other means of transmittal of its reports.

Overnight mail

Reports filed via overnight mail³ will be considered timely filed if the report is received by the delivery service on or before the December 7 filing date. A committee sending its reports by Express or Priority 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 and courier—must be received by the FEC before close of business on the December 7 filing deadline. 2 U.S.C. §434(a)(5) and 11 CFR 104.5(e).

For those filers who are not required to file their reports electronically, paper forms are available on the FEC’s website and from FEC Faxline, the agency’s automated fax system (202/501-3413).

Additional information

For more information on 2006 reporting dates:

• See the reporting tables in the January 2006 Record;
• Call and request the reporting tables from the FEC at 800/424-9530 or 202/694-1100;
• Fax the reporting tables to yourself using the FEC’s Faxline (202/501- 3413, document 586); or
• Visit the FEC’s web page to view the reporting tables online.

¹ Monthly filers are not required to file a December monthly report in addition to the Post-General report.

² Disbursements for electioneering communications do not count toward the $50,000 threshold for mandatory electronic filing. See 11 CFR 104.18(a).

³ “Overnight mail” includes Priority or 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 on-line tracking system.