FEC Upload

FEC Upload Program

When you've viewed and validated your Filpac-generated FEC file, you're ready to upload the file to the FEC's system. The first step is to connect to the Internet. If you're an AOL user, you can connect simply by connecting to AOL and then minimizing the AOL program.

To upload a file to into the FECLoad program and choose File->Upload. This will display a screen entitled Open. This is where you can enter the name of your Filpac-generated FEC File, or you can simply Browse to it. Once your file is selected, you'll see a screen entitled Settings.

Under the Upload tab, you'll need to enter the Password that you've registered with the FEC, as well as your committee's ID number. You'll want confirmation that your file has been received, so enter your fax number (numbers only, no dashes or slashes) and email address. The Filing Method should be TCP/IP. If you're filing an amendment to a previous report, then you must enter that report's FEC number, which was issued when that report's filing was confirmed. (It begins with "FEC-" and ends with a five-digit number.)

Under the Configure tab, fill in the following:

TCP/IP hostname: disclose.fec.gov

Agency ID: FEC (FEC should be uppercase, we've found)

You're now ready to file. Click OK and watch the system do its work. When the filing is accepted, you'll see a message that displays the Filing ID number. Be sure to write it down.

If the filing is not accepted, an error message will pop up giving you the reason why.

Go to this page on the FEC website for an explanation of the error.

FEC Candidate ID number

If you're trying to file your FEC report and you're getting the following error on line F3N or F3XN :

** ID# C00nnnnnn NOT Correct FEC ID# Format

. . . it is because you're using your candidate's Committee ID number in the place where the CANDIDATE ID number is supposed to go. (You're getting this error now because the candidate ID is required with the new Form 3Z-1.)

The Committee ID number begins with "C00"

The CANDIDATE ID number begins with "H" and includes your two-letter state abbreviation. To find your Candidate ID number without digging out your old FEC paperwork, do the following:

Go to the FEC's website: www.fec.gov

Then choose Campaign Finance Reports and Data

Scroll down and choose Candidate Search

Then, under Transaction Query, enter your candidate's name in the LAST, FIRST format:

BOEHNER, JOHN

When you get to the Results page, click on your candidate's name. On the next page the candidate ID number will be displayed to the right of the candidate's name.

Double-click the Candidate ID number to highlight it. Then press Ctrl-C to copy it. Then go into the Filpac program and select Setup->Program Setup->Committee Setup. Under the State, FEC tab, click on the Committee ID field and press Ctrl-V to paste the number that you just copied. If the remaining candidate information is blank, fill it out and click Save.

Sometimes the FEC provides a "back-door" code to enable an amendment that is at first rejected because of differences from the original. The code will look something like this:

*BD6559ggg2

Enter this code after the FEC ID of the original filing in the field labeled This Filing Amends

Example: FEC-123456*BD6559ggg2

Network Upload Errors

Error 11004: The requested name is valid, but no data of the requested type was found [tcp_socket( )]

Open the Configure tab and enter the following:

TCP/IP hostname: 64.94.66.94 (This is the internet address represented by "disclose.fec.gov")

If that doesn't work, it probably means that your network's firewall getting in the way. Tell your network administrator that Port 667 must be opened for both inbound and outbound access.

If you can't resolve, then instead of TCP/IP, use SSL with the following settings:

Host Name: https://webforms.fec.gov/cgi-bin/disclose_ssl/upload

Agency ID: FEC

If you're still having no success and need to get the file uploaded quickly, then download and extract to your local C: drive the FEC Filing programs from Download page of our website. It creates a FEC folder on your drive, in which you'll find a FECLOAD folder and the upload program, which is FECLoad.EXE.