Contributions and outside spending use different notices
The FEC says candidate committees must file 48-hour notices for contributions of $1,000 or more received from October 15 through October 31. PACs, parties and other persons making independent expenditures aggregating at least $1,000 for the same race face 24-hour reports from October 15 through November 1.
The deadlines explain why new records can appear after a committee's pre-general report. They do not mean every contribution or expenditure becomes visible instantly.
The pre-general report stops on October 14
For congressional campaigns and qualifying PACs and parties, the pre-general report covered activity through October 14 and was due October 22. The post-general report covers October 15 through November 23 and is due December 3.
Late notices bridge part of that gap, but they are narrower than a full report. Readers should not add every filing together without checking whether an item appears again in the next periodic report.
What the filings can establish
A notice establishes that a committee reported a transaction under a federal rule. It does not prove an ad changed votes, that a donor directed an independent expenditure or that a filing is the final campaign total.
The practical test is to search the FEC record by committee and race, note the filing date and compare later amendments. State and local races may use different disclosure systems.
Sources and further reading
Federal Election Commission: last-minute disclosure periods reminder ↗