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# Coordinated communications periods: presidential 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 120-day coordinated communications (CC) periods for the 2020 presidential 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).

Related pages:
        - CC periods - main page (2020)
        - CC periods for congressional primaries (2020)
        - CC periods for national party nominating conventions (2020)
        - CC periods for congressional general election (2020)
        - CC periods for special elections (2020-21)

## Coordinated communications periods for presidential primaries1

| State                               | Election date | Coordinated communications period (120-days prior to primary through date of general election) |
|-------------------------------------|---------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Alabama Primary                     | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Alaska Primary (D)                  | 04/10/20202   | 12/12/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| American Samoa Caucus (D)           | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Arizona Primary                     | 03/17/2020    | 11/18/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Arkansas Primary                    | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| California Primary                  | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Colorado Primary                    | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Connecticut Primary                 | 08/11/20203   | 04/13/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Delaware Primary                    | 07/07/20204   | 03/09/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| District of Columbia Primary        | 06/02/2020    | 02/03/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Florida Primary                     | 03/17/2020    | 11/18/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Georgia Primary                     | 06/09/20205   | 02/10/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Guam Caucus  (D)                    | 06/06/20206   | 02/07/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Guam Convention (R)                 | 03/14/2020    | 11/15/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Hawaii Caucus (D)                   | 05/22/20207   | 01/23/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Hawaii Caucus (R)                   | 03/10/2020    | 11/11/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Idaho Primary                       | 03/10/2020    | 11/11/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Illinois Primary                    | 03/17/2020    | 11/18/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Indiana Primary                     | 06/02/20208   | 02/03/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Kansas Primary (D)                  | 05/02/2020    | 01/03/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Kentucky Primary                    | 06/23/20209   | 02/24/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Louisiana Primary                   | 07/11/202010  | 03/13/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Maine Primary                       | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Maryland Primary                    | 06/02/202011  | 02/03/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Massachusetts Primary               | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Michigan Primary                    | 03/10/2020    | 11/11/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Minnesota Primary                   | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Mississippi Primary                 | 03/10/2020    | 11/11/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Missouri Primary                    | 03/10/2020    | 11/11/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Montana Primary                     | 06/02/2020    | 02/03/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Nebraska Primary                    | 05/12/2020    | 01/13/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Nevada Caucus (D)                   | 02/22/2020    | 10/25/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| New Hampshire Primary               | 02/11/2020    | 10/14/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| New Jersey Primary                  | 07/07/202012  | 03/09/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| New Mexico Primary                  | 06/02/2020    | 02/03/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| New York Primary                    | 06/23/202013  | 02/24/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| North Carolina Primary              | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| North Dakota Caucus (D)             | 03/10/2020    | 11/11/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| North Dakota Caucus (R)             | 03/10/2020    | 11/11/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Northern Mariana Islands Caucus (D) | 03/14/2020    | 11/15/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Northern Mariana Islands Caucus (R) | 03/15/2020    | 11/16/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Ohio Primary                        | 04/28/202014  | 12/30/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Oklahoma Primary                    | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Oregon Primary                      | 05/19/2020    | 01/20/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Pennsylvania Primary                | 06/02/202015  | 02/03/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Puerto Rico Primary (D)             | 07/12/202016  | 03/14/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Rhode Island Primary                | 06/02/202017  | 02/03/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| South Carolina Primary (D)          | 02/29/2020    | 11/01/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| South Dakota Primary                | 06/02/2020    | 02/03/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Tennessee Primary                   | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Texas Primary                       | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Utah Primary                        | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Vermont Primary                     | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Virgin Islands Caucus (D)           | 06/06/2020    | 02/07/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Virginia Primary (D)                | 03/03/2020    | 11/04/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Virginia Convention (R)             | 08/15/202018  | 04/17/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Washington Primary                  | 03/10/2020    | 11/11/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| West Virginia Primary               | 06/09/202019  | 02/10/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Wisconsin Primary                   | 04/07/2020    | 12/09/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Wyoming Caucus (D)                  | 04/17/202020  | 12/19/2019 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |
| Wyoming Convention (R)              | 05/09/2020    | 01/10/2020 - 11/03/2020                                                                        |

#### Legal citations

Regulations

11 CFR 109.21(c)(4)*What is a “coordinated communication”?*

This information is not intended to replace the law or to change its meaning, nor does this information create or confer any rights for or on any person or bind the Federal Election Commission or the public.

The reader is encouraged also to consult the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (52 U.S.C. 30101 et seq.), Commission regulations (Title 11 of the Code of Federal Regulations), Commission advisory opinions and applicable court decisions.