What Happened?

If you live in a contested state, the political ads filling your screen may be paid for by outside groups you've never heard of. Outside political groups are moving money into key contested states, with spending that changes by the hour. ​

The spending data comes from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) data distributed by Legis1. Because broadcasters must log every political ad buy with the FCC, the data offers a near-real-time window into where outside groups think the most competitive races are.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

Super PACs and party committees are investing money in contested states to try to shore up wins for their parties, and that spending shifts by the hour. For voters in those states, that means the volume and tone of political advertising can shift dramatically in a short period, driven not by the candidates themselves but by outside groups operating independently of any campaign. Despite Democrats being favored on average this election, they have been outfundraised and outspent by Republicans for the last several years.

Both Sides, Now

Supporters of outside political spending argue it represents free speech and allows individuals, businesses, and advocacy groups to participate in elections beyond direct candidate donations. Opponents point to the difficulty of tracking who is actually behind the money. The Brennan Center for Justice reported that dark-money spending, meaning spending where donors are not publicly disclosed, reached a record $1.9 billion in 2024 federal races while becoming harder to trace.

OpenSecrets reported that a single newly created super PAC spent about $309 million on Senate races, including in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The FCC requires broadcasters to log political ad buys, which is the mechanism that makes this spending visible at all. Congress sets the rules governing what outside groups must disclose, and any change to those disclosure requirements would require new legislation.

What Happens Next?

Disclosure rules that govern what super PACs must report are set by Congress and enforced by the FCC and the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the agency that oversees campaign finance law. Any tightening of transparency requirements for outside spending would require Congress to pass new legislation and the president to sign it.

Because super PACs are not required to disclose every donor in real time, a portion of the money funding ads in contested states may not be traceable to its original source until well after Election Day, if at all. The FEC publishes periodic disclosure reports, but the filing deadlines mean some spending is reported only after voters have already cast their ballots.

Will voters in contested states be able to find out who is paying for the ads they see before Election Day?

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