Campaign money
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Super PACs are political committees that can raise and spend unlimited money to support or oppose candidates, as long as they do not give to or coordinate with campaigns.
they shape primaries too: when a few candidates compete in a low-turnout primary, outside spending can carry extra weight. Traditional PACs, by contrast, may give directly to candidates but face strict limits.
A super PAC is what the Federal Election Commission calls an independent expenditure-only committee. It can collect unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, unions, and other groups, and spend them on ads, mail, and outreach about candidates.
Two rules hold it back: a super PAC cannot donate to a candidate, and it cannot coordinate its spending with a candidate's campaign. It must still disclose its donors to the FEC.
| Question | Traditional PAC | Super PAC |
|---|---|---|
| Can give money directly to candidates? | Yes, within federal limits | No |
| Limits on what it can receive | Yes | No limits |
| Who can donate | Individuals and other PACs, within limits | Individuals, corporations, unions, and other groups |
| Can coordinate with campaigns? | Yes, as a contributor | No, spending must be independent |
| Must report donors? | Yes, to the FEC | Yes, to the FEC |
| Legal origin | Federal campaign finance law of the 1970s | 2010 court rulings, including Citizens United v. FEC |
Origin
Super PACs appeared in 2010. The Supreme Court's Citizens United v. FEC decision held that independent political spending by corporations and unions could not be limited, and the D.C. Circuit's SpeechNow.org v. FEC ruling then allowed independent-only committees to accept unlimited contributions.
Maine
In 2023, Maine voters passed Question 1 with 74.9% support, capping donations to super PACs at $5,000, roughly a 3-to-1 margin. The Foundation for Independent Voter Education is defending the law against legal challenges. A win could set a precedent for similar limits in other states.
Primaries
Primaries draw small electorates: national primary turnout was 23.3% in the 2026 midterms. With fewer voters deciding, outside spending can reach a large share of them. Opening primaries widens that electorate.
Next step
Super PAC limits and open primaries address different problems, but both aim to give ordinary voters more weight. Most reform guides start with primary access, since that decides who gets a ballot at all. Start with the open primaries guide.
The first step is supporting open primaries for every voter. Next, see how More Choice Voting builds on them.
Super PACs are political committees that can raise and spend unlimited amounts on ads and outreach supporting or opposing candidates, but cannot give money directly to candidates or coordinate with their campaigns. The Federal Election Commission calls them independent expenditure-only committees. They must report their donors to the FEC.
A traditional PAC can give money directly to candidates but faces contribution limits on what it receives and gives. A super PAC cannot give to candidates or coordinate with them, but it can raise and spend unlimited sums from individuals, corporations, and unions. The trade-off is direct giving versus unlimited money.
Under federal law, a multicandidate PAC can give up to $5,000 per candidate per election, and individuals can give a PAC up to $5,000 per year. Super PACs have no such contribution limits. Exact figures and rules are published by the Federal Election Commission, which is the place to confirm current limits.
Super PACs emerged in 2010 after the Supreme Court's Citizens United v. FEC decision and the federal appeals court ruling in SpeechNow.org v. FEC. Together they allowed committees that only make independent expenditures to accept unlimited contributions. Spending by these committees has grown in every federal cycle since.
Yes. In 2023, Maine voters passed Question 1 with 74.9% support, capping donations to super PACs at $5,000. The law faces legal challenges, and the Foundation for Independent Voter Education is defending it in court. Supporters hope a win sets a precedent for super PAC contribution limits in other states.
