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Start by identifying the jurisdiction and the suspected problem. A false claim, a missing “paid for by” disclaimer, a state election-law violation, voter intimidation, a broadcast complaint, and a platform-labeling problem can go to different places. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) handles federal campaign-finance matters involving federal candidates and committees; it is not a general political fact-checker and cannot handle every election complaint.
This guide is U.S.-focused. If the ad concerns a state, local, territorial, or ballot-measure election, begin with the relevant state or territorial election authority. Preserve the ad before reporting it, then choose the route that matches what you actually observed.
First decide what kind of problem you saw
“Misleading political ad” can describe several different allegations. The correct reporting channel depends on the conduct, the office involved, and where the ad appeared.
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Use the FEC for suspected violations involving elections for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, President, or Vice President. Examples include a possible failure to identify the person or committee that paid for a covered communication, or a communication that may not comply with a federal disclaimer rule.
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The FEC’s jurisdiction is limited to federal campaign-finance law. It does not decide whether a political statement is true, supervise every election rule, or investigate ordinary disputes about voting, voter fraud, intimidation, ballot access, or election results.
State, local, or ballot-measure ad
For a governor, state legislature, mayor, school board, county office, referendum, or other nonfederal contest, start with the state’s chief election official or another election regulator designated by that state. Disclosure wording, filing forms, deadlines, and available remedies vary by jurisdiction, so do not assume that a federal rule or FEC form applies.
Voting intimidation, voter fraud, or voting-rights concern
These are not FEC campaign-finance complaints. The FEC directs people toward state election authorities for suspected voter intimidation or fraud and toward the U.S. Department of Justice for possible violations of federal voting law. Preserve the communication and describe the conduct precisely rather than labeling it only “misinformation.”
Broadcast or communications-service concern
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) complaint center lists categories such as television service and radio issues. Its reviewed guidance does not establish a general FCC process for deciding whether a political ad’s factual claims are true. Sharing a story with the FCC is not the same as filing a complaint.
Platform labeling or advertising-policy concern
If an ad appears on a social network or other advertising platform, use that service’s report tool as well as any appropriate government channel. A platform report asks the company to apply its own rules; it is not a substitute for a formal regulator complaint.
Preserve the ad before it disappears
Political ads can be edited, withdrawn, or removed after you report them. Capture the evidence first, while the complete version is still available.
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What to save
- The complete ad, including every video frame, audio track, caption, image, disclaimer, and accompanying post text.
- The account, page, advertiser, sponsor, committee, or “paid for by” name exactly as displayed.
- The ad’s URL, post identifier, or other platform reference, plus the platform or outlet where you saw it.
- The date, time, and location or viewing context. Note whether you encountered it in a feed, search result, email, television broadcast, radio program, website, app, or direct message.
- A screenshot or screen recording showing enough surrounding interface to establish who served the ad and how any disclaimer appeared.
- The exact words that concern you, or a precise description of the missing disclosure.
- Documents and reliable sources that support your concern.
Keep the original file when possible. Do not crop away the advertiser, account name, disclosure, URL, or other context. If the ad is in a video feed, record the screen before opening the report menu because reporting may cause the platform to hide or replace it.
Separate observation from inference
Make two notes. In the first, record what you personally saw or heard: for example, “The 30-second video showed candidate X and contained no visible sponsor line during playback.” In the second, identify information learned elsewhere: for example, “A news article says the committee bought the ad.” The FEC specifically asks complainants to distinguish personal knowledge from information and belief and to identify the source of secondhand information. A screenshot helps preserve context, but by itself it does not establish that a legal violation occurred.
How to file a complaint with the FEC
Any person may file an FEC complaint when they believe a federal campaign-finance law or regulation has been violated or is about to be violated. The filing is a formal legal submission, not an anonymous tip form.
Meet the filing requirements
- Put the complaint in writing.
- Include your full name and address.
- Sign the complaint.
- Swear to the truth of the allegations and have the signature notarized.
Email the completed complaint to EnfComplaint@fec.gov, or mail it to the FEC Office of General Counsel, 1050 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20463.
Organize the facts so the agency can evaluate them
- Identify the respondent. Name each person, campaign, political committee, organization, or other entity you allege violated federal law. Use the name shown in the ad and any additional identifying information you can document.
- Describe the communication. State what it said or displayed, where it appeared, when you saw it, and whether it was paid, promoted, or otherwise distributed to the public.
- State the suspected violation in plain language. Explain whether your concern is a missing or inadequate disclaimer, an allegedly prohibited contribution or expenditure, coordination, or another campaign-finance issue. Legal citations are not required.
- Attach supporting records. Include screenshots, recordings, copies of the ad, URLs or identifiers, receipts, public filings, and other documents that support the factual allegations.
- Label the source of each important fact. Say which facts come from your own observation and which come from another person, document, or publication.
- Sign, swear, and notarize the final document. An unsigned email or an unnotarized narrative does not meet the FEC’s stated complaint requirements.
Write specific facts rather than conclusions. “This ad is dishonest” gives investigators little to evaluate. “On October 16, 2026, I viewed a paid video on a named page; it stated a specific voting record, displayed no sponsor line during the video, and linked to the following committee page” is more useful if you can support each detail.
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Filing a complaint does not prove that a violation occurred. The FEC reviews complaints for jurisdiction and sufficiency, and the Commission decides whether to proceed. Enforcement matters remain confidential until resolved. Do not promise a particular outcome, public announcement, or timetable to other people who may be affected.
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When a federal disclaimer rule may apply
The FEC describes “public communications” broadly. The category includes general public political advertising on broadcast, cable, or satellite television; newspapers and magazines; outdoor advertising; certain mass mailings and phone banks; and communications placed or promoted for a fee on another person’s website, device, application, or advertising platform.
Whether a particular ad is covered depends on facts such as who paid for it, whether it is an authorized campaign communication, the medium, and any applicable exception. An absent label alone is not enough to conclude that federal law was violated.
Text and graphic internet ads
For internet public communications containing text or graphics, the FEC says the written disclaimer generally must be visible without requiring the viewer to take an additional action. It must be readable with reasonable contrast against the background. A disclosure hidden behind a separate click, unreadable color treatment, or tiny text may raise a different question from an ad that contains a visible disclaimer but uses wording you believe is inaccurate.
Video ads
For video, a disclaimer displayed within the video must appear for at least four seconds without requiring an additional action. Preserve the entire video so the duration, placement, and readability can be assessed.
Audio-only internet ads
An audio-only internet advertisement must carry the disclaimer in the audio. A silent written label elsewhere does not automatically satisfy an audio requirement.
Intrinsically limited formats
The FEC describes an adapted-disclaimer option for certain formats with intrinsic character or space constraints. The adapted disclosure is paired with an indicator and a mechanism that requires no more than one user action. A platform’s small display area does not automatically excuse a missing disclosure; the specific format and rule matter.
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Check current guidance
The FEC disclaimer page includes a notice that it has not yet been revised to reflect a June 30, 2026 Supreme Court decision concerning coordinated-expenditure limits. That notice concerns the page’s discussion of the decision, but it is a reason to recheck current official guidance before relying on points affected by that ruling.
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Report the ad on the platform where you saw it
Facebook and Instagram
For U.S. political content on Facebook or Instagram, Meta’s published instructions say to open the ad menu, choose Report, and select the option indicating that the ad refers to a political candidate or issue. Preserve the ad before using the menu, and save any confirmation screen or report number the service provides.
Meta also describes an Ad Library archive for political or issue ads. Its published notice said that ads archived for seven years would begin exiting the Ad Library, API, and report on May 24, 2025. Archive retention and interface behavior can change, so check the current library and save the ad promptly rather than relying on future availability.
Other platforms
Other services may use different menu names, evidence requirements, and retention periods. Follow the service’s current in-app reporting path, capture the confirmation, and keep the government complaint separate from the platform case. A platform may remove an ad for violating its policy even when no regulator finds a legal violation, or leave an ad online while an agency reviews a complaint.
Compare the reporting routes
| Route | Best fit | Formality | Useful evidence | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Election Commission | Federal campaign-finance or disclaimer allegation | Written, signed, sworn, and notarized complaint with full name and address | Complete ad, respondent identity, dates, URLs or identifiers, records, and firsthand/secondhand source distinctions | Jurisdiction and sufficiency review; Commission decision; enforcement matters confidential until resolved |
| State or territorial election authority | State, local, or ballot-measure election issue | Procedure varies by jurisdiction | Ad copy, sponsor information, location, dates, and the state rule or conduct at issue | State-specific review, deadlines, and remedies |
| State election office or U.S. Department of Justice | Possible voter intimidation, voter fraud, or federal voting-rights violation | Agency-specific process | Exact words or conduct, location, time, affected voters, and preserved media | Review under voting or election law rather than campaign-finance law |
| Federal Communications Commission | Possible television, radio, or communications-service issue | FCC complaint-center process for listed categories | Station or service, broadcast date and time, recording, and service details | Service-category review; the reviewed guidance does not establish a general truthfulness challenge for political claims |
| Advertising platform | Missing label or other violation of the platform’s own advertising policy | In-app or web report | Screenshot or recording, ad URL, account name, and the report confirmation | Platform review under its policy, with procedures and retention varying by service |
Common mistakes that weaken a report
Sending a tip to the wrong agency
A federal complaint about a mayoral ad, a state complaint about a U.S. Senate ad, or an FEC filing about voter intimidation can delay the response. Identify the office on the ballot before choosing a regulator.
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Treating an inaccurate statement as an automatic campaign-finance violation
The FEC does not serve as a general political-fact-checking agency. Explain the factual claim and provide supporting records, but use the FEC route only when you can identify a federal campaign-finance or disclaimer theory.
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Assuming every “paid for by” problem is federal
State and local disclosure rules may apply to communications outside federal jurisdiction. The same visual omission can have different legal consequences depending on the election, sponsor, medium, and location.
Reporting before preserving evidence
If a platform removes the ad after your report, you may lose the wording, disclaimer timing, or sponsor identity needed to explain the allegation. Capture the complete communication first.
Submitting a vague accusation
Identify the respondent, quote the exact words, state where and when you encountered them, and explain what evidence supports each important fact. A clear factual chronology is more useful than a long argument about motives.
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A still image may not show audio, a four-second video disclaimer, targeting context, or the full landing page. Keep the recording and original files, and describe the limits of what you personally captured.
Promising an outcome
Neither an FEC complaint nor a platform report guarantees removal, correction, enforcement, or a particular deadline. Report what you know and let the reviewing body determine jurisdiction and next steps.
Quick Recap
A practical reporting checklist
- Confirm whether the election is federal, state, local, territorial, or a ballot measure.
- Classify the concern: campaign-finance or disclaimer, voting interference, communications-service issue, or platform policy.
- Save the complete ad, including video frames, audio, captions, sponsor text, and surrounding interface.
- Record the account, advertiser, committee, URL or identifier, platform, date, time, and viewing location.
- Quote the exact claim or describe the missing disclosure precisely.
- Collect documents and reliable sources that support the concern.
- Separate firsthand observations from information obtained from other sources and name those sources.
- Use the FEC only for a federal campaign-finance matter, and meet its written, signed, sworn, notarized filing requirements.
- Use the relevant state or territorial election authority for nonfederal elections.
- Direct voting intimidation, voter fraud, or possible federal voting-law violations to the appropriate state election office or the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Use an FCC category only when the issue concerns a listed communications-service matter, not simply disagreement with a political claim.
- File a separate platform report when the ad may violate the service’s labeling or advertising policy.
- Recheck official agency and platform instructions because rules, forms, interfaces, and archive practices can change.
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