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  1. Home
  2. ›Definitions
  3. ›Elections and the Race
  4. ›Election cycle

Elections and the Race

Election cycle

Two-year federal campaign period labeled by its election year.

What this means

Federal campaign finance and many Race shelves are organized by cycle (for example 2024 or 2026). Keep cycle labels separate from federal fiscal years used in The Books.

Related

  • FEC

    Federal Election Commission, publisher of federal campaign finance data.

  • Primary election

    Party (or top-two) contest that precedes the general election.

  • General election

    November contest that fills the federal office.

All definitions · Methodology