Campaign finance has a vocabulary all its own, and the terms can be confusing even to attentive readers. This glossary defines the words and phrases that appear most often in campaign finance reporting and in the figures on MoneyTalks.Vote. The definitions are written in plain language and are strictly nonpartisan, intended only to help you read and understand the public record.
Nonpartisan reference · Updated June 2026The practice of gathering contributions from many individuals and presenting them to a campaign as a group. A bundler collects checks or online donations from a network of donors, amplifying their combined impact while each individual contribution remains within the legal limit.
The official committee a candidate registers to raise and spend money for a campaign. Also called a principal campaign committee, it is the legal entity that files reports with the Federal Election Commission. The committee, not the candidate personally, conducts the campaign's financial activity.
The amount of money a campaign still holds after subtracting its spending from its receipts. Cash on hand is often a better measure of a campaign's present strength than total raised, because it reflects the resources actually available going forward.
A 2010 Supreme Court decision holding that the government may not prohibit corporations and unions from making independent expenditures on political communications. The ruling helped give rise to Super PACs and the modern era of unlimited independent spending. See our full guide.
The maximum amount a person or committee may give directly to a candidate, party committee, or political action committee under federal law. Several limits are adjusted for inflation over time. Limits apply to direct contributions but not to independent expenditures. See our full guide.
Spending made in cooperation with a candidate's campaign, as opposed to independent spending. Coordinated expenditures by party committees are permitted but subject to their own limits. Coordination between a candidate and an outside independent spender is prohibited.
The closing date through which a campaign finance report accounts for activity. Because reports are filed periodically, the coverage date indicates how current the figures are and is essential for comparing filings on equal terms.
A cumulative total covering all activity during an entire election cycle, as opposed to activity during a single reporting period. Confusing cycle-to-date totals with period totals is a common error in reading filings.
Political spending whose original source is not disclosed to the public. It typically flows through certain tax-exempt nonprofit organizations that are not required to reveal their donors. The spending is generally legal; what distinguishes it is the absence of disclosure.
Money a campaign or committee spends. Disbursements include operating expenditures such as advertising, staff, travel, and consulting, as well as contributions to other committees and loan repayments.
The legal requirement that candidates and committees publicly report their financial activity. Disclosure is the foundation of the federal campaign finance system and the reason the data on tools like MoneyTalks.Vote exists.
A broadcast advertisement that refers to a clearly identified federal candidate and airs within a defined window before an election. Such communications are subject to specific rules established by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.
The foundational federal statute governing money in federal elections, first enacted in 1971 and substantially strengthened in 1974. It established disclosure requirements, contribution limits, and the Federal Election Commission.
The independent agency created in 1975 to administer and enforce federal campaign finance law. It oversees disclosure, enforces contribution limits, and publishes the public record of campaign finance activity. See our full guide.
Funds raised and spent in compliance with federal contribution limits and disclosure rules. Hard money may be contributed directly to candidates, in contrast to the unlimited soft money that was banned at the national party level in 2002.
The four congressional campaign committees that work to elect their party's candidates to Congress: two for the House and two for the Senate. They concentrate resources on the most competitive races. See our guide to party committees.
Money spent to support or oppose a clearly identified candidate without coordinating with that candidate or campaign. Independent expenditures are not subject to contribution limits, a principle rooted in the 1976 Buckley v. Valeo decision.
A donation from a private individual to a candidate, party, or committee. Individual contributions are the largest single source of money in most campaigns and are subject to per-election limits.
A contribution of goods or services rather than money, such as donated office space or professional services. In-kind contributions count toward contribution limits at their fair market value.
A contribution that must be listed individually in a filing, with the donor's name, address, occupation, and employer recorded. Federal law requires itemization of contributions from donors whose total giving exceeds two hundred dollars in an election cycle.
An arrangement in which a candidate, party committees, and sometimes other committees raise money together through a single effort, then divide the proceeds according to the limits that apply to each participant.
A political action committee established by a current or aspiring officeholder, separate from their own campaign committee, used to support other candidates and build political relationships and influence.
A political action committee that has received contributions from a sufficient number of donors and has contributed to multiple candidates, qualifying it to give a defined maximum to each candidate per election.
An organization that raises money to support or oppose candidates. Traditional PACs operate within contribution limits and may give directly to candidates, providing an organized and disclosed channel for political participation. See our full guide.
The total money a campaign or committee takes in, including individual contributions, committee contributions, loans, and other income. Total receipts is the broadest measure of a campaign's financial scale.
Money a candidate contributes or loans to their own campaign. Candidates may spend unlimited amounts of their own money, a principle established by the Buckley v. Valeo decision.
Funds once raised by national parties outside federal contribution limits, ostensibly for party-building and issue advocacy. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 prohibited national party committees from raising or spending soft money.
An independent-expenditure-only committee that may raise and spend unlimited sums but may not contribute directly to candidates or coordinate with them. Super PACs emerged from court decisions in 2010. See our full guide.
A contribution from a donor whose total giving is two hundred dollars or less in an election cycle, reported only as a lump sum rather than individually. A high share of unitemized contributions is often read as a sign of small-dollar grassroots support.
A type of tax-exempt social welfare organization permitted to engage in some political activity. Because these groups generally do not disclose their donors, they are a common vehicle for what is described as dark money.
Put these terms to use: Open the 2026 Campaign Finance Tracker and see receipts, disbursements, cash on hand, and PAC money for every competitive race.