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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 9

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 01/2018)

Who Must File

Every person that makes disbursements for electioneering communications aggregating in excess of $10,000 

during a calendar year must report 

these disbursements by submitting 

FEC Form 9. For purposes of these 

notices, “disbursements” includes 

actual disbursements and the execution 

of contracts creating an obligation to 

make disbursements for electioneering 

communications. The Commission 

must receive the notice by 11:59 p.m. 

of the day following the date of the first 

public disclosure of the electioneering 

communication that triggers the reporting requirement. Each time subsequent 

disbursements for electioneering communications made by the same person 

or entity aggregate in excess of $10,000, 

another notice must be submitted. 

(Note: Political committees that make 

disbursements for such communications 

must report such disbursements on FEC 

Form 3X as expenditures or independent 

expenditures, as appropriate.)

Definitions

Electioneering Communication

means any broadcast, cable or satellite communication that (1) refers to a 

clearly identified candidate; (2) is publicly distributed; (3) is distributed within 

60 days prior to a general election or 

30 days prior to a primary election; and 

(4) can be received by 50,000 or more 

people in the House District or State that 

the candidate seeks to represent, or in the 

case of Presidential primaries, the State 

holding a Presidential primary within 30 

days of the date of public distribution. 

11 CFR 100.29.

Public Distribution of an electioneering communication means the airing, 

broadcast, cablecast or other dissemination of such a communication through 

the facilities of a television station, 

radio station, cable television system or 

satellite system.

Date of Public Distribution refers 

to the “Disclosure Date” under 11 CFR 

104.20(a)(1). That regulation defines 

the date that triggers disclosure of an 

electioneering communication. The 

first reportable date of public distribution in a calendar year is the date that 

an electioneering communication is 

publicly distributed when the maker of 

the communication has also surpassed 

the $10,000 disbursement threshold. 

Counting toward the $10,000 threshold 

are disbursements made for the direct 

costs of producing or airing the communication aired on the first reportable date 

plus the direct costs of any previously 

unreported electioneering communications. After the first disclosure date, 

subsequent disclosure notices must be 

filed on the day following each date on 

which an electioneering communication 

is publicly distributed, provided that 

the direct costs for any electioneering 

communications since the last Form 9 

was filed aggregate in excess of $10,000.

Direct Costs of Producing or Airing 

Electioneering Communications

means (1) costs charged by a vendor 

(e.g., studio rental time, staff salaries, 

costs of video or audio recording media 

and talent) or (2) costs of airtime on 

broadcast, cable and satellite radio and 

television stations, studio time, material 

costs and the charges for a broker to purchase the airtime. 11 CFR 104.20(a)(2).

Donation as used on this Form means 

any gift, subscription, loan, advance 

or deposit of money or anything of 

value given to any person that is used 

to finance an electioneering communication.

Segregated Bank Account as used 

on this Form means a separate bank 

account into which a reporting entity 

deposits only funds donated, or otherwise provided, by persons other than 

national banks, corporations organized 

by authority of any law of Congress, or 

foreign nationals, from which it makes 

disbursements for electioneering communications. 11 CFR 104.20(c)(7).

Name of Employer means the organization or person by whom an individual is employed, rather than the name 

of his or her supervisor. Individuals 

who are self-employed should indicate 

“self-employed.”

Occupation means the principal job 

title or position of an individual.

Purpose means a brief statement or 

description of why the disbursement 

was made.

When to File

The Commission must receive notices 

of electioneering communications no 

later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard/

Daylight Time of the day following 

the date on which an electioneering 

communication is publicly distributed 

for the first time, provided that the 

$10,000 threshold has been reached. 

The Commission must receive notices 

of subsequent disbursements for additional airings of the same electioneering 

communication and/or for other electioneering communications by 11:59 

p.m. Eastern Standard/Daylight Time of 

the days that follow the dates of public 

distribution of later electioneering 

communications, whenever the costs of 

such communications bring subsequent 

aggregate disbursement totals to more 

than $10,000. These later aggregations 

must include any previously unreported 

disbursements for electioneering communications that have been publicly 

distributed since the most recent notice 

was filed.

Notices of electioneering communications may be filed by fax to 

(202)219-0174, by electronic mail to 

2022190174@fec.gov or by online 

webform available on the Commission’s web site at http://www.fec.gov/ 

elecfil/online.shtml.

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

Instructions for Preparing FEC FORM 9 (24 Hour Notice of 

Disbursements/Obligations for Electioneering Communications)
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 9

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 01/2018) 

Where To File

File all notices of electioneering communications with the Federal Election 

Commission, 1050 First Street, N.E., 

Washington, DC 20463. Reports shipped 

via FedEx, UPS or DHL should use the 

ZIP code 20002

Filers are no longer required to file 

copies of this form in states and territories that have qualified for a filing 

waiver. Currently, only filers based in 

Guam, Northern Mariana Islands or 

Puerto Rico must routinely file copies 

with the appropriate office in those 

territories. Other filers must file a copy 

of any portion of their notice of electioneering communications applicable 

to candidates who seek or sought election in those territories. For notices of 

electioneering communications made 

in Guam, Northern Mariana Islands or 

Puerto Rico referencing a candidate for 

President or Vice President, submit a 

copy to the territory in which the expenditure is made.

Persons filing notices of electioneering communications must retain 

copies of their notices for a period of not 

less than 3 years from the date of filing.

Line By Line Instructions

LINE 1. Person Making the Disbursements/Obligations. Provide the 

requested information. A “person” 

may be an individual, unincorporated 

organization, corporation or labor organization.

LINE 2. Individual filers: provide the 

name of your employer and your occupation.

LINE 3. FEC Identification Number. 

First time filers—leave this line blank. 

Previous filers with an identification 

number—enter that number.

LINE 4. Covered Period. Enter the first 

and last dates of financial activity covered by the statement; these dates should 

begin with the date of the first related 

disbursement and end with the date of 

public distribution.

LINE 5. New or Amended. Check 

“Amended” if you are filing an amendment to a previous notice. Otherwise, 

check “New.”

LINE 6.

a) Date of Public Distribution. Enter 

the public distribution date of the 

electioneering communication 

for which disbursements have 

exceeded $10,000 or whose related 

costs together with earlier disbursements for electioneering communications have exceeded $10,000, 

thereby triggering the 24–hour 

notice requirement. If this is the 

first notice filed with regard of a 

particular electioneering communication by the maker, enter the 

date that the communication was 

first publicly distributed. If this is 

not the first notice filed with regard 

to a particular electioneering communication by the maker, enter 

the date on which the previously 

reported electioneering communication was publicly distributed an 

additional time, provided that costs 

related to the additional public distribution have exceeded $10,000 or 

the costs of the additional distribution plus disbursements related 

to other electioneering communications aired since the last notice 

was filed have exceeded $10,000. 

For subsequent, new electioneering 

communications, enter the date 

on which the communication was 

first aired whenever related and/or 

aggregated costs exceed $10,000. 

See the definitions above and 

under 11 CFR 104.20(a) of “Date 

of Public Distribution” and “Direct 

Costs of Producing or Airing Electioneering Communications.”

b) Communication Title. List the title 

of the communication as named 

by the media vendor or producer 

of the communication. (Titles of 

individual communications should 

remain the same throughout their 

various public distributions unless 

the content changes.)

LINE 7. Filer Type. Check the box that 

identifies the type of person making the 

electioneering communication. A corporation or labor organization making 

electioneering communications under 11 

CFR 114.10 must check box (b).

LINE 8. Account for Donations. Check 

“Yes” if the disbursements for the 

electioneering communication were 

made exclusively from donations to a 

“segregated bank account” as described 

above. 11 CFR 104.20(c) and 11 CFR 

114.10(d). Otherwise, check “No.”

LINE 9. Name of Custodian of Records. 

Provide the requested information about 

the individual who controls the books 

and records that support this filing.

LINE 10. Total Donations This Statement. Provide the sum total of donations itemized on Schedule 9A. If no 

donations required itemization (see 

instructions for Schedule 9A below), 

enter “0” (zero).

LINE 11. Total Disbursements/Obligations This Statement. Provide the 

sum total of disbursements itemized on 

Schedule 9B.

LINE 12. List of Persons Shar- ing/Exercising Control. Provide the requested 

information for each person who shared 

or exercised control of making the 

disbursement/obligation for the electioneering communication. This means 

officers, directors, executive directors 

or their equivalents, partners, and, in the 

case of unincorporated organizations, 

owners of the entity or persons making 

disbursements for the electioneering 

communication. The senior staff position in an organization, whatever its title, 

that functions as an executive director is 

the equivalent of an executive director.

Verification

FEC Form 9 must be signed by the 

person making the electioneering communication, who is making a verified 

certification under penalty of perjury 

that the statement is correct.

Instructions for Schedule 9A 

(Donations Received)

FEC FORM 9

Who Must File Every individual and 

unincorporated organization making 

electioneering communications must file 

Schedule 9-A disclosing each donor who 

donated an amount aggregating $1,000 

or more since the first day of the preceding calendar year. 11 CFR 104.20(c)
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR FEC FORM 9

 Federal Election Commission (Revised 01/2018)

(7) and (8).Likewise, corporations and 

labor organizations making communications exclusively from a segregated bank 

account must file Schedule 9A disclos-

ing each donor who donated an amount 

aggregating $1,000 or more since the 

first day of the preceding calendar year. 

11 CFR 104.20(c)(7). If a corporation 

or labor organization did not pay for 

communications exclusively from a seg-

regated bank account, Schedule 9A must 

be filed only if the donations received for 

the purpose of furthering electioneering 

communications aggregate $1,000 or 

more per donor since the first day of the 

preceding calendar year. In this case, 

Schedule 9A must disclose each donor 

whose donations to further electioneer-

ing communications aggregated $1,000 

or more. 11 CFR 104.20(c)(9).

After itemizing the donations, sub-

total each Schedule 9A. (You may use 

multiple pages.) Add the subtotals on the 

last page of Schedule 9A, and carry the 

total to Line 9.

Instructions for Schedule 9B 

(Disbursement(s) Made or 

Obligations)

For each disbursement made or 

contract executed, including each dis-

bursement made or contract executed 

prior to exceeding the $10,000 thresh-

old, provide the requested information. 

If the payee is an individual, list that 

individual’s occupation and employer. 

Additionally, list each federal candidate 

clearly identified in the communication, 

including the office sought and the 

election that the disbursement/obliga-

tion is made for. Along with listing the 

specific purpose of the disbursement 

(e.g., radio ad, television ad), list the 

title of the communication as named 

by the media vendor or producer of the 

communication. (Titles of individual 

communications should remain the same 

throughout their various public distri-

butions unless the content changes.) 

Also list the communication date for the 

electioneering communication. In most 

instances, this date will be the Date of 

Public Distribution. If the maker of the 

electioneering communication is also 

required to report disbursements related 

to other electioneering communications 

(e.g., electioneering communications 

with costs below the $10,000 threshold), 

the disbursements listed on Schedule 9B 

must indicate the other electioneering 

communication’s title in the purpose 

line, the date the electioneering communication was publicly distributed and 

the federal candidate that was clearly 

identified in the communication.

After itemizing the disbursements/ 

obligations, subtotal each Schedule 9B. 

(You may use multiple pages). Add the 

subtotals on the last page of Schedule 

9B, and carry the total to Line 10.