5 CFR 734.404 - Participation in political organizations.

(b) Employees appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate in the agencies and positions described in paragraph (a) of this section are excluded from coverage under this subpart.

(c) All employees covered under this subpart are free to engage in political activity to the widest extent consistent with the restrictions imposed by law and this subpart.

[59 FR 48769, Sept. 23, 1994, as amended at 61 FR 35101, July 5, 1996; 79 FR 25486, May 5, 2014]

§ 734.402 - Expression of an employee's individual opinion.

Each employee covered under this subpart retains the right to participate in any of the following political activities, as long as such activity is not performed in concert with a political party, partisan political group, or a candidate for partisan political office:

(a) Express his or her opinion as an individual privately and publicly on political subjects and candidates;

(b) Display a political picture, sign, sticker, badge, or button, as long as these items are displayed in accordance with the provisions of § 734.406;

(d) Be politically active in connection with a question which is not specifically identified with a political party, such as a constitutional amendment, referendum, approval of a municipal ordinance, or any other question or issue of a similar character; and

(e) Otherwise participate fully in public affairs, except as prohibited by other Federal law, in a manner which does not compromise his or her efficiency or integrity as an employee or the neutrality, efficiency, or integrity of the agency or instrumentality of the United States Government in which he or she is employed.

Example 1:An employee may purchase air time on a radio or television station to endorse a partisan political candidate. However, he or she may not endorse such a candidate in a commercial or program which is sponsored by the candidate's campaign committee, a political party, or a partisan political group. Example 2:An employee may address a political convention or rally but not on behalf, or at the request of, a political party, partisan political group, or an individual who is running for the nomination or as a candidate for election to partisan political office. Example 3:An employee may print at her own expense one thousand fliers which state her personal opinion that a partisan political candidate is the best suited for the job. She may distribute the fliers at a shopping mall on the weekend. However, she may not distribute fliers printed by the candidate's campaign committee, a political party, or a partisan political group. Example 4:An employee may place in his or her yard a sign supporting a candidate for partisan political office. Example 5:An employee may stand outside of a political party convention with a homemade sign which states his or her individual opinion that one of the candidates for nomination is the best qualified candidate. Example 6:An employee, including a career SES employee, may wear a button with a partisan political theme when the employee is not on duty or at his or her place of work. [59 FR 48769, Sept. 23, 1994, as amended at 61 FR 35101, July 5, 1996]

§ 734.403 - Participation in elections.

Each employee covered under this subpart retains the right to:

(a) Register and vote in any election;

(b) Take an active part, as a candidate or in support of a candidate, in a nonpartisan election; and

(c) Serve as an election judge or clerk, or in a similar position, to perform nonpartisan duties as prescribed by State or local law.

§ 734.404 - Participation in political organizations.

(a) Each employee covered under this subpart retains the right to:

(1) Participate in the nonpartisan activities of a civic, community, social, labor, or professional organization, or of a similar organization;

(2) Be a member of a political party or other partisan political group and participate in its activities to the extent consistent with other Federal law;

(3) Attend a political convention, rally, fund-raising function, or other political gathering; and

(4) Make a financial contribution to a political party, partisan political group, or to the campaign committee of a candidate for partisan political office.

(b) Subject to the provisions in § 734.406, an employee covered under this subpart may make a financial contribution to a political action committee through a voluntary allotment made under § 550.311(b) of this chapter if the head of the employee's agency permits agency employees to make such allotments to political action committees.

(c) An employee who is covered under this subpart and is a payroll official in an agency where employees are permitted to make allotments to political action committees may process the completed direct deposit forms for voluntary allotments which have been made to such committees under § 550.311(b) of this chapter.

Example 1:An employee, or a noncareer SES employee who is subject to subpart D of part 734, may attend a political convention or rally solely as a spectator. However, the employee and noncareer SES employee may not participate in demonstrations or parades which are sponsored by a political party, a partisan political group, or an individual who is running for nomination to be a candidate for partisan political office. Example 2:An employee may attend a political party's annual barbecue, but he or she may not organize, distribute invitations to, or sell tickets to the barbecue. Example 3:An employee who desires to contribute to a political action committee through an allotment personally may obtain blank direct deposit forms from his or her payroll office. The employee may not complete the direct deposit form while he or she is on duty, on Federal property, or in a Federally owned or leased vehicle. The employee also may not personally deliver his or her completed direct deposit form, or the completed direct deposit form of another employee, to his or her payroll office. However, the employee may mail the completed form to his or her agency payroll office. [61 FR 35101, July 5, 1996]

§ 734.405 - Campaigning for a spouse or family member.

An employee covered under this subpart who is the spouse or family member of either a candidate for partisan political office, or a candidate for political party office, may appear in photographs of the candidate's family which might appear in a political advertisement, a broadcast, campaign literature, or similar material. A spouse or a family member who is covered by the Hatch Act Reform Amendments also may attend political functions with the candidate. However, the spouse or family member may not distribute campaign literature or solicit, accept, or receive political contributions.

Example 1:An employee who is the spouse of a candidate for partisan political office may stand in the receiving line and sit at the head table during a political dinner honoring the spouse. Example 2:An employee who is the daughter of a candidate for partisan political office may appear in a family photograph which is printed in a campaign flier, but she may not distribute the flier at a campaign rally.

§ 734.406 - Participation in political activities while on duty, in uniform, in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties, or using a Federal vehicle; prohibition.

(a) An employee covered under this subpart may not participate in political activities:

(1) While he or she is on duty;

(2) While he or she is wearing a uniform, badge, or insignia that identifies the employing agency or instrumentality or the position of the employee;

(3) While he or she is in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties by an individual employed or holding office in the Government of the United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof; or

(4) While using a Government-owned or leased vehicle or while using a privately owned vehicle in the discharge of official duties.

Example 1:An employee who uses his or her privately owned vehicle on a recurrent basis for official business may place a bumper sticker on the vehicle, as long as he or she covers the bumper sticker while the vehicle is being used for official duties. Example 2:An employee who uses his or her privately owned vehicle on official business, must cover any partisan political bumper sticker while the vehicle is being used for official duties, if the vehicle is clearly identified as being on official business. Example 3:An employee or career SES employee who uses his or her privately owned vehicle only on an occasional basis to drive to another Federal agency for a meeting, or to take a training course, if not required to cover a partisan political bumper sticker on his or her vehicle. Example 4:An employee may not place a partisan political bumper sticker on any Government owned or Government leased vehicle. Example 5:An employee may place a bumper sticker on his or her privately owned vehicle and park the vehicle in a parking lot of an agency or instrumentality of the United States Government or in a non-Federal facility for which the employee receives a subsidy from his or her employing agency or instrumentality. Example 6:An employee, or noncareer SES employee who is subject to subpart D of this part 734, may not wear partisan political buttons or display partisan political pictures, signs, stickers, or badges while he or she is on duty or at his or her place of work. Example 7:An employee who contributes financially to a political action committee through a voluntary allotment made under § 550.311(b) of this title may not complete the direct deposit forms while he or she is on duty, in a “room or building” defined in § 734.101, or in a Federally owned or leased vehicle. Example 8:An employee who contributes financially to a political action committee may not personally deliver his or her completed direct deposit form, or the completed direct deposit form of another employee, to the payroll employees who would process or administer such forms. However, the employee may mail his or her direct deposit form to his or her agency payroll office.

(b) [Reserved]

[59 FR 48769, Sept. 23, 1994, as amended at 61 FR 35102, July 5, 1996]

§ 734.407 - Use of official authority; prohibition.

An employee covered under this subpart may not use his or her official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election.

§ 734.408 - Participation in political management and political campaigning; prohibitions.

An employee covered under this subpart may not take an active part in political management or in a political campaign, except as permitted by subpart D of this part.

[61 FR 35102, July 5, 1996]

§ 734.409 - Participation in political organizations; prohibitions.

An employee covered under this subpart may not:

(a) Serve as an officer of a political party, a member of a national, State, or local committee of a political party, an officer or member of a committee of a partisan political group, or be a candidate for any of these positions;

(b) Organize or reorganize a political party organization or partisan political group;

(d) Address a convention, caucus, rally, or similar gathering of a political party or partisan political group in support of or in opposition to a candidate for partisan political office or political party office, if such address is done in concert with such a candidate, political party, or partisan political group.

§ 734.410 - Participation in political fundraising; prohibitions.

An employee covered under this subpart may not:

(a) Solicit, accept, or receive political contributions; or

(b) Organize, sell tickets to, promote, or actively participate in a fundraising activity of a candidate for partisan political office or of a political party, or partisan political group.

§ 734.411 - Participation in political campaigning; prohibitions.

An employee covered under this subpart may not:

(a) Take an active part in managing the political campaign of a candidate for partisan political office or a candidate for political party office;

(b) Campaign for partisan political office;

(c) Canvass for votes in support of or in opposition to a candidate for partisan political office or a candidate for political party office, if such canvassing is done in concert with such a candidate, or of a political party, or partisan political group;

(d) Endorse or oppose a candidate for partisan political office or a candidate for political party office in a political advertisement, broadcast, campaign literature, or similar material if such endorsement or opposition is done in concert with such a candidate, political party, or partisan political group;

(e) Initiate or circulate a partisan nominating petition.

§ 734.412 - Participation in elections; prohibitions.

An employee covered under this subpart may not:

(a) Be a candidate for partisan political office;

(b) Act as recorder, watcher, challenger, or similar officer at polling places in concert with a political party, partisan political group, or a candidate for partisan political office;

(c) Drive voters to polling places in concert with a political party, partisan political group, or a candidate for partisan political office.

[59 FR 48769, Sept. 23, 1994, as amended at 61 FR 35102, July 5, 1996]

§ 734.413 - Employees of the Federal Election Commission; prohibitions.

(a) An employee of the Federal Election Commission may not request or receive from, or give to, an employee, a Member of Congress, or an officer of a uniformed service a political contribution.

(b) This section does not cover employee of the Federal Election Commission who are appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

authority: 5 U.S.C. 1103,1104,7325; Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1978, 92 Stat. 3783, 3 CFR 1978 Comp. p. 323; and E.O. 12107, 3 CFR 1978 Comp. p. 264

source: 59 FR 48769, Sept. 23, 1994, unless otherwise noted.

cite as: 5 CFR 734.404