The Federal Election Campaign Act (located at 52 U.S.C. §30101) is a federal statute that puts limits on campaign contributions to candidates for President of the United States and Congress (the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate). It requires candidates to report all the money their campaigns receive and spend.

Most individuals can donate up to $2,800 per candidate, per election. This means a person can donate up to $2,800 to each of one or more candidates in a federal primary election and in a federal general election. This law also requires candidates in federal elections to report the payee and amount of each campaign expenditure. And a campaign may not accept more than $100 in cash from a particular source with respect to any campaign for nomination for or election to federal office.

Similarly, state laws place limits on campaign contributions and require candidates for elective office to report the contributions they receive and the expenditures they make while seeking public office. These laws are usually located in a state’s statutes—often in the elections code.

In New York, the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) applies to candidates for federal offices, including President, U.S. Senate, and the House of Representatives. Under FECA, individuals are permitted to donate up to $2,800 to a candidate per election, which means a donor can contribute this amount for both the primary and general elections, totaling $5,600 for a full election cycle to a single candidate. Campaigns must report all contributions and expenditures, and cash contributions from a single source are capped at $100 per election cycle. New York State also has its own campaign finance laws that regulate contributions and expenditures for state and local elections. These laws require candidates to disclose financial activities and typically include contribution limits. The specific rules and limits for state and local elections can be found in New York's Election Law, which is designed to ensure transparency and prevent undue influence in the electoral process.