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Federal Election Commission

The Federal Election Commission administers and enforces campaign election law. It was created by Congress with the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1975 to enforce and oversee the campaign finance regulations in that law. The body is made up of six members, evenly split between Republicans and Democrats who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, and at least four votes are required for any official action. This structure was created to encourage nonpartisan decisions, although it has been criticized for also promoting gridlock. Each member serves a six-year term, and two seats are subject to appointment every two years. The chairmanship of the commission rotates among the members each year, with no member serving as chairman more than once during his or her term.