Why Are My FEC Reports Aggregating Differently in ISP?

Applies To: Federal Election Commission

When you import data from other software into ISP, you may notice that Line 11(a)i and Line 11(a)ii on your new report are different than your previous software. This is because there are spots in the FEC documentation that are up to interpretation.

Because of that uncertainty, there are variances between software programs in certain areas. For example, some programs itemize at $200 while others itemize at $200.01 (the ISP threshold). Some use static aggregation, meaning they aggregate as of the last day of the report, while others, including ISP, have running aggregation, where aggregates are on a day-to-day basis.

These variances cause Lines 11(a)i and 11(a)ii to differ from program to program. The FEC is aware and okay with these variances. The important part that the FEC cares about most is Line 11(a)iii. As long as that value is consistent, then there’s generally nothing to worry about.