Direct answer
FEC filings are public federal campaign finance reports — financial summaries, itemized contributions, independent expenditures, and 48-hour notices — that committees submit to the Federal Election Commission. Operatives use them to track opponent fundraising, outside spending, and cash on hand.
Common form types
F3 / F3P
Candidate committees
Receipts, disbursements, cash on hand, debts
F3X
PACs, party committees, some outside groups
Quarterly financial reports for non-candidate committees
Schedule A
Itemized contributions (attached to F3/F3X)
Contribution amounts and geography — aggregate ZIP maps only on Pachand
Schedule E
Independent expenditure committees
Outside spending for or against candidates
F9 / F24
48-hour notice filers
Late independent expenditures and election-eve spending
Operative workflow
- Know the reporting calendar — see the 2026 FEC deadlines guide
- Build a committee watchlist for the race
- Enable filing alerts when watched committees report
- Compare receipts and cash on hand vs. prior filings
Pachand automates steps 2–4 on public FEC data. See how to track opponent fundraising.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
- What are FEC filings?
- FEC filings are federal campaign finance reports committees submit to the Federal Election Commission — financial summaries (F3/F3X), itemized contributions (Schedule A), independent expenditures (Schedule E), and 48-hour notices. They are public records operatives use to track fundraising and spending.
- How often do committees file with the FEC?
- Most federal committees file quarterly (April 15, July 15, October 15, plus year-end). Pre-election and post-election reports apply before and after elections. Some committees file monthly. Check FEC.gov for your committee type.
- How do campaigns use FEC filings operationally?
- Operatives watch opponent and outside-group filings for cash changes, new receipts, donor geography shifts, and IE bursts. Tools like Pachand turn raw filings into watchlist alerts, cash scoreboards, and aggregate ZIP maps — without manual FEC.gov refreshes.
Not affiliated with the Federal Election Commission.