WebJunction - Elections & the Political Process

Overview of the FEC (web page)

2008-07-23T20:02:29Z

Provides a basic overview of the Federal Elections Commission including history, duties and membership.

In 1975, Congress created the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to administer and enforce the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) - the statute that governs the financing of federal elections. The duties of the FEC are as follows:

• disclose campaign finance information
• enforce the provisions of the law such as the limits and prohibitions on contributions
• oversee the public funding of Presidential elections.
(Note: The FEC does not regulate State or local office election campaigns.)

The Commission is made up of six members, who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Each member serves a six-year term, and two seats are subject to appointment every two years. By law, no more than three Commissioners can be members of the same political party, and at least four votes are required for any official Commission action. This structure was created to encourage nonpartisan decisions. The Chairmanship of the Commission rotates among the members each year, with no member serving as Chairman more than once during his or her term.

Overview

2008-06-11T21:31:58Z

March 20, 2008 training session for Fort Collins Public Library at Colorado State University:

Election Information
FEC [PowerPoint]

Links to U.S. Elections Educational Resources

2008-05-13T20:15:56Z

A list of links to non-governmental educational resources related to U.S. Elections.

JURIST: The Legal Education Network - University of Pittsburgh School of Law Presidential Election Law Guide to various presidential law issues, including political broadcasting, voter registration, campaign finance and presidential debates. Includes detailed section on the Florida recount from the 2000 election.

Project Vote Smart - Project Vote Smart is a volunteer organization dedicated to creating awareness among U.S. citizens regarding their country's political candidates and elected officials so that they can make informed decisions at the polls. This site contains candidate information such as campaign finances, issue positions, voting records and public statements.

League of Women Voters - The League of Women Voters addresses issues such as campaign finance reform, civil liberties, voting rights, election administration, ethics and lobbying reform, global climate change, and health care reform.

Center for Responsive Politics - The Center for Responsive Politics is "Your Guide to the Money in U.S. Elections." The Center examines presidential candidates (and incumbents), special interest groups and their activities, members of Congress, and more.

Campaign Finance Reform: A Sourcebook - "The Campaign Finance section of the Brookings Institution website was created in 1995 and served as a source of news on topics related to campaign finance through mid-2005. Though no longer updated frequently, the material archived here can continue to serve as a resource to researchers, policy-makers, and the public."

U.S. Census Bureau: Voting and Registration - "Information on reported voting and registration by various demographic and socioeconomic characteristics is collected for the nation in November of congressional and presidential election years in the Current Population Survey (CPS). Detailed information from recent surveys and historical trends in selected areas is listed. Estimates and projections of the voting-age population derived from administrative records and Census 2000 are also provided."

U.S. Elections: Goverment Accountability Office (GAO) Reports and Testimony - "This page lists the most recent reports and testimonies related to United States elections issued since January 2000."

American National Elections Studies (ANES) - ANES "produces high quality data on voting, public opinion, and political participation to serve the research needs of social scientists, teachers, students, policy makers and journalists who want to better understand the theoretical and empirical foundations of national election outcomes."

What you can find on the U.S. Electoral College website

2008-05-13T20:15:46Z

This web guide provides a list, descriptions and links to the information available on the U.S. Electoral College Website.

The U.S. Electoral College web site is divided into seven main sections and provides information on the following:

2008 Presidential Election [1]

What is the Electoral College?[2]

Electoral College Calculator [3]

Historical Election Results [4]

For State Officials [5]

Frequently Asked Questions [6]

US Election & Voting Resources [7]

Overview of the U.S. Electoral College

2008-05-13T20:15:46Z

This document provides a basic overview of the U.S. Electoral College.

U.S. Electoral College

Under the Electoral College system, we do not vote directly for President and Vice President. Instead, voters in each State choose a slate of electors who serve in the Electoral College to select the winner. The Office of the Federal Register, as a part of the National Archives & Records Administration, coordinates the functions of the Electoral College. It is in charge of receiving and authenticating the Certificates of Ascertainment and the Certificates of Vote from all states and District of Columbia.

The U.S. Electoral College website explains the Electoral College process and provides a variety of information and statistics on presidential elections, past and present.

What you can find on the FEC website

2008-05-13T20:15:45Z

This web guide provides a list, descriptions and links to the types of information that can be found on the FEC website.Web Guide: What you can find on the FEC website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the most frequently asked federal elections questions.

Campaign Finance Reports and Data

This web site contains databases to answer questions such as "Who contributed to a candidate for President, Senator or Representative?"

Guide to Researching Public Records of the FEC

Includes information such as the types of documents available through the FEC, restrictions on the use of these documents, and a "checklist" for researching a particular candidate.

A Citizens’ Guide to Campaign Contributions

Contains information on permitted contribution amounts, who can and cannot make contributions, volunteering, travel expenses, and related items.

Background on FEC and Federal Campaign Finance Law

Includes historical background and details of the campaign laws overseen by the Commission.

Background information from the Press office

Includes FEC enforcement history, current presidential campaign information, and a summary of the major provisions of the new Federal Campaign Finance Law.

EQS Enforcement Query Engine

Search for completed enforcement cases and their public documents. You can search by keywords or phrases that appear in any public document, or by basic information about cases (e.g. individuals who filed complaints, case number, respondents, etc.).

EQS Tutorial

An online tutorial that demonstrates how to search for cases and documents of the FEC.

EQS Glossary

A glossary of terms from the Federal Election Commission.