Hackers Force FEC to Suspend Web Services Before Midterms

The Federal Election Commission’s website went offline after 10:15 p.m. EST on Monday, cutting off digital access just days before the November 3 midterm elections. The agency confirmed the disruption in an email sent to a campaign compliance firm, stating that a "bad actor" was attempting to breach its systems. As a result, the FEC temporarily suspended all web-facing services.

The shutdown prevents organizations from submitting mandatory 24-hour and 48-hour spending reports. These filings track how political groups and candidates allocate funds in specific races. A status update posted at 8:17 p.m. EST on Tuesday indicated that the issue had been identified and a fix was being implemented. The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency referred inquiries to the FEC, which stated it was working to restore systems as quickly as possible.

Democratic FEC Commissioner Dara Lindenbaum addressed the timing on X, clarifying the agency’s limited role. She wrote, "This has NOTHING to do with voter files or voter registration. Those are maintained by the states. The FEC only handles federal campaign finance findings." The commission does not administer the elections themselves.

The outage arrives during a period of intense financial activity in the race. AdImpact, a political advertising tracker, reported that approximately $11.21 billion has been spent or reserved for advertising in this year’s midterms. This figure exceeds the previous record of $11.2 billion set in 2024. The 2024 total included $3.2 billion spent in the presidential race between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Super PACs, independent committees that accept unlimited funds from wealthy individuals and corporations, are driving much of this expenditure. Brendan Glavin, research director at the nonpartisan watchdog OpenSecrets, noted that these groups have spent an average of $50 million per day over the past week. He described the disruption as a major concern for transparency.

Glavin stated, "It's a big deal. In the last days of the election, this is the only way for us to keep track of where the money is being spent." The FEC’s systems remain under review as the agency works to bring online filings back to normal status ahead of the vote.