electioneering
Electioneering is the process by which political groups convince voters to cast ballots for or against particular candidates , parties , or issues (such as ballot issues, school board budgets, or referendums ) in an upcoming election . Electioneering can include the display of campaign posters or signs, distribution of campaign materials, or solicitation of votes for or against any person or political party or position.
Electioneering can be restricted within a certain area by statute . For example:
- In Missouri , it is an offense to electioneer “on election day inside the building in which a polling place is located or within twenty-five feet of the building's outer door closest to the polling place,” under Section 115.637 .
- In New York , it is an offense to electioneer “within the polling place or within one hundred feet [of the polling place],” under Section 17-102 .
See e.g., Montanans for Community Development v. Mangan ; People v. Maldonado N.Y.S.3d 408 (2019)
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 ( BCRA ) (located at Title 52, Subtitle III of the U.S. Code ) federally regulated “electioneering communication” by prohibiting federal candidates from using corporate and union funding to launch television ads on satellite or cable within 30 days of a primary and 60 days of a general election . See § 441b of the BCRA , now located at 52 U.S.C. § 30118 . But in the landmark case of Citizens United v. FEC, 558 U.S. 310 (2010) , the Supreme Court held that this provision was facially unconstitutional under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment . For more details about this case, see the Wex article for Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) .
[Last reviewed in September of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team ]
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