Running Political Ads in Connecticut?

Five Steps to Prepare: A practical guide to disclaimers, ad formats, and AI disclosures

Updated September 2026

This article provides general information, not legal advice or a guarantee of platform approval. Confirm the requirements for your ad with the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC), the receiving platform, and counsel.

An ad can have the right message, strong visuals, and a finished edit and still need changes before it runs.

In Connecticut, the requirements depend on who pays for the ad, what it communicates, whether it is independent of a candidate’s campaign, its format, and where it will run. AI now adds one more layer of disclosure check.

Work through these five questions alongside your branding and messaging before production begins.

This guide covers Connecticut state and local elections. Federal races require a separate review under FEC rules.

1. Who is paying for the ad?

Start with the organization: a candidate committee, party committee, political action committee (PAC), or another sponsor.

Update older templates: Connecticut no longer requires the committee treasurer’s name in these disclaimers. That change took effect July 1, 2025. 

2. Does the ad mention a candidate?

Review the message and the sponsor’s relationship to the campaign.

Independent expenditure, or for some PACs ads have separate requirements, including identifying the payer, explaining the message’s independence, and directing viewers to additional information on SEEC’s website. Additional funding-source disclosures may apply near an election. 

3. What format are you creating?

• Images and print: Check the written disclaimer, placement, and readability. 

• Video: Requirements vary by sponsor and spending type, and may include written, spoken, or visual disclosures depending on the organization paying.

• Audio: Radio and internet audio have separate spoken-disclaimer requirements. Do not assume the video rules apply.

See Connecticut’s requirements in more detail.

4. Where will the ad run?

Check the platform’s requirements alongside state law.

Publishers may specify the size, contrast, and display time of payer identification and require disclosures for certain AI-generated or digitally altered content. 

Leave room for these elements in the design, and review every final size and version before submission.

5. Was AI used?

Record what AI created or changed, especially realistic people, voices, or events. Check applicable law and the receiving platform’s disclosure policy. 

Save the original assets, document AI changes, and record who reviewed the final version. Recheck when the payer, content, format, or platform changes.

Always build human compliance and legal review into the process before an ad runs.

This article provides general information, not legal advice or a guarantee of platform approval. Confirm the requirements for your ad with the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC), the receiving platform, and counsel.