Federal Election Commission facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Federal Election Commission

Agency overview
Formed	October 15, 1974; 50 years ago (1974-10-15)
Jurisdiction	Federal government of the United States
Status	Independent regulatory agency
Headquarters	1050 First St NE Washington, D.C., U.S.
Employees	509 (2018)
Annual budget	$74.5 million USD (FY 2022)
Agency executives	Sean J. Cooksey, Chairman Ellen Weintraub, Vice Chair
Key document	Federal Election Campaign Act Amendments of 1974 (Pub.L. 93-443 88 Stat. 1263)

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is a special group in the United States government. Its main job is to make sure that rules about money in federal elections are followed. Federal elections are when people vote for the President, Vice President, and members of Congress.

The FEC was created in 1974. It helps everyone know where money for election campaigns comes from and how it's spent. It also makes sure that there are limits on how much money people or groups can give to campaigns. The FEC also helps oversee public money used for presidential elections.

Sometimes, the FEC has faced challenges. For example, from late 2019 to late 2020, it couldn't make many decisions. This was because it didn't have enough members to hold official votes. This situation is called not having a "quorum." When this happens, the FEC can't investigate complaints or give official advice.

How the FEC Started

The Beginning of the FEC

The FEC was created in 1974. It was added to a law called the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). This law was made to control how money is used in political campaigns.

When it first started, the FEC had six members. Some were chosen by Congress, and some by the President. This showed that Congress wanted to keep a close eye on election money.

Changes to How Members are Chosen

In 1976, a big court case called Buckley v. Valeo changed things. The Supreme Court decided that all FEC members must be chosen by the President. Then, the United States Senate has to approve them. This is how most important government officials are chosen.

After this, Congress changed the FECA law to follow the Supreme Court's decision. Now, the six FEC members are always nominated by the President and approved by the Senate.

Challenges and Disagreements

Since the 1990s, the FEC has sometimes had trouble making decisions. This is because its members often have different political views. This can lead to disagreements, making it harder for the commission to act quickly.

Who Works at the FEC

The Commissioners

The FEC has six main leaders called commissioners. The President of the United States chooses them, and the United States Senate must approve them. Each commissioner serves for six years.

Two new commissioners are usually appointed every two years. If a commissioner's term ends, they can keep working until a new person is approved. This helps keep the FEC running smoothly. By law, no more than three commissioners can be from the same political party. This rule helps keep the commission balanced.

Recent Changes in Commissioners

For a few years, the FEC had fewer than six commissioners. This made it hard for them to do their job. For example, in August 2019, there were only three commissioners. This meant they didn't have enough members for a "quorum" to make official decisions.

In May 2020, a new commissioner was approved. This brought the number up to four, allowing the FEC to start working again. However, another commissioner resigned in July 2020. This meant the FEC again lacked enough members. Finally, in December 2020, three new members were approved. This fully restored the commission so it could do its work.

The Chair of the Commission

The leader of the FEC is called the "chair." The commissioners take turns being the chair each year. No commissioner usually serves as chair more than once during their six-year term. However, if a commissioner stays on longer than six years while waiting for a replacement, they might serve as chair more than once.

What the FEC Does

Main Responsibilities

The FEC is in charge of federal campaign finance laws. Here are some of its main duties:

• It makes sure that there are limits on how much money people can give to campaigns. It also makes sure that certain types of donations are not allowed.
• It runs a system where campaigns must report all the money they raise and spend. This helps everyone see how campaigns are funded.
• It investigates complaints about campaign finance rules being broken. These complaints often come from other candidates, political groups, or the public.
• It checks a small number of campaigns and groups to make sure they are following the rules.
• It manages the public funding programs for presidential candidates. This is when public money helps pay for presidential campaigns.

Helping People Understand the Rules

The FEC also publishes reports that show how much money campaigns have raised and spent. These reports list donors who give more than $200, along with their address, job, and employer. This information is available to the public.

The FEC also works to teach candidates, campaigns, and political parties about the laws. This helps them understand and follow the rules.

How Decisions Are Made (and Why It's Hard)

For the FEC to make important decisions, like investigating a case or taking someone to court, most of its members must agree. Four out of the six commissioners must vote yes for a decision to pass.

Since there are an even number of commissioners (six), and no more than three can be from the same political party, it means that members from both major parties often need to agree. This can be hard when issues are controversial. There is no special way to break a tie if the votes are split.

Because of this, some people say the FEC is "set up for deadlock." This means it can get stuck and not make decisions, especially when political parties disagree strongly. In recent years, the number of times the FEC has been unable to make a decision has increased.

Current Commissioners

See also

In Spanish: Comisión Federal de Elecciones para niños

• Campaign finance in the United States
• Elections in the United States
• Federal Election Campaign Act