FEC Filing System Down as $11.21 Billion in Midterm Ad Spend Goes Unreported

The Federal Election Commission confirmed Tuesday night that a technical issue affecting its electronic filing system has been identified and a fix is being implemented. The announcement came after reports indicated that a hacker or group of hackers targeted the agency’s systems days before the midterm elections.

The system remained offline early Wednesday, removing a primary channel for monitoring campaign finance. An FEC electronic filings official told campaign compliance firms on Monday night that a bad actor was attempting to breach the agency’s systems. Public-facing services were subsequently shut down. The filing system has been offline since approximately 10 p.m. ET on Monday.

The agency has not specified who was behind the reported breach attempt. It has also not stated whether unauthorized individuals gained access to its systems or if any data was compromised. Previously filed reports remain searchable. FEC IT staff are currently working to restore the service.

Regulations require candidate committees to report contributions or loans of $1,000 or more within 48 hours during the final 20 days before an election. Political committees and outside groups must disclose certain spending within 24 hours. These rules are designed to provide voters with a near-real-time view of money flowing into races during the most critical period of the election cycle.

The timing of the outage aligns with a surge in political advertising. According to AdImpact, the 2026 midterms are the most expensive U.S. election cycle on record by political advertising standards. As of Monday night, $11.21 billion had been spent or reserved. A CNBC analysis of FEC filings shows that political committees and outside groups reported nearly $610 million in independent expenditures for communications disseminated between Oct. 20 and Oct. 26. That figure averages roughly $87 million per day.

Elon Musk’s America PAC reported nearly $6.8 million in independent expenditures for communications disseminated on Oct. 20. Spending of that magnitude typically becomes public almost immediately. With the filing system down, new money can enter races while the public lacks immediate visibility. The FEC has operated with only two members since October 2025 and has lacked the four commissioners required to take official action since May 2025. Career staff continue to process disclosures and manage day-to-day operations.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency did not respond to a request for comment. The Federal Bureau of Investigation deferred to the FEC.