Red-boxing is a tactic used by American political candidates to coordinate with their political action committees (PACs) in a way that circumvents campaign finance laws. Political campaigns place statements or requests on public campaign websites which are then used by PACs to support the candidate. The name for the practice comes from the red-colored box that often surrounds the instructions for PACs on campaign websites.[1][2] It is used by both major American parties, but was noted for its use by Democratic candidates in primary elections in 2022.[3]
Campaigns will use boxes to focus PACs' attention on certain aspects of opposing candidates' biographies, including past controversies. They often include detailed instructions on what type of ad to use, what areas to target, and what age, gender, or ethnicity to appeal to.[1] Red boxes are most often located in the "Media Resources" or "Media Center" sections of a campaign website where political operatives know to look.[1] Instructions sometimes use terms like "hear" for radio ad requests, "read" for direct mail, "see" for television, and "see while on the go" for digital ads.[1]
- ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference
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Sharmawas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Goldmacher, Shane (May 16, 2022). "The Little Red Boxes Making a Mockery of Campaign Finance Laws". The New York Times.
It is not clear why Democratic candidates have so thoroughly embraced the red box tactic in primaries while Republicans have not. Republicans work hand in glove with their super PACs, too, but in different ways.
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