The Hatch Act prohibits less restricted federal employees from:

• May not use their official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the result of an election. For example:


• May not use their official titles or positions while engaged in political activity.


• May not invite subordinate employees to political events or otherwise suggest to subordinates that they attend political events or undertake any partisan political activity.


• May not solicit, accept or receive a donation or contribution for a partisan political party, candidate for partisan political office, or partisan political group. For example:


• May not host a political fundraiser.


• May not invite others to a political fundraiser.


• May not collect contributions or sell tickets to political fundraising functions.*


• May not be candidates for public office in partisan political elections.



• May not knowingly solicit or discourage the participation in any political activity of anyone who has business pending before their employing office.



• May not engage in political activity – i.e., activity directed at the success or failure of a political party, candidate for partisan political office, or partisan political group – while the employee is on duty, in any federal room or building, while wearing a uniform or official insignia, or using any federally owned or leased vehicle. For example:


• May not distribute campaign materials or items.


• May not display campaign materials or items.


• May not perform campaign related chores.


• May not wear or display partisan political buttons, T-shirts, signs, or other items.


• May not make political contributions to a partisan political party, candidate for partisan political office, or partisan political group.


• May not post a comment to a blog or a social media site that advocates for or against a partisan political party, candidate for partisan political office, or partisan political group.


• May not use any e-mail account or social media to distribute, send, or forward content that advocates for or against a partisan political party, candidate for partisan political office, or partisan political group.

* Soliciting, accepting, or receiving such donations or contributions may be done so long as the person being solicited is: 1) a member of the same federal labor organization as defined under section 7103(4) of this title or a federal employee organization which as of the date of enactment of the Hatch Act Reform Amendments of 1993 had a multicandidate political committee (as defined under section 315(a)(4) of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(4))); 2) not a subordinate employee; and 3) the solicitation is for a contribution to the multicandidate political committee (as defined under section 315(a)(4)of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 U.S.C. 441a(a)(4))) of such federal labor organization as defined under section 7103(4) of this title or a federal employee organization which as of the date of the enactment of the Hatch Act Reform Amendments of 1993 had a multicandidate political committee (as defined under section 315(a)(4)of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2) U.S.C. 441a(a)(4))).