R 011830Z DEC 15
MARADMIN 603/15
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC JA//
SUBJ/GUIDANCE ON POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS AND ACTIVITY//
REF/A/MSGID: DOC/DODD 1344.10/20080219//
REF/B/MSGID: MSG/DOD PAG/20150828//
REF/C/MSGID: DOC/DOD 5500.07-R/19930830//
REF/D/MSGID: DOC/DODI 1334.01/20051026//
REF/E/MSGID: DOC/MCO P1020.34G/20030331//
REF/F/MSGID: DOC/5 U.S.C./7321-7326/20121228//
POC/MR. MICHAEL D. GRAHAM/HQMC JCA/WASHINGTON, DC/TEL: DSN 224-2510//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. This guidance is issued to ensure that our Marines, Sailors, and civilian employees exercise their rights and obligations of citizenship without violating statutes, regulations, or policies prohibiting official involvement or the appearance of official involvement in partisan political activities. As a primary example, Marines shall not wear a uniform when they attend a partisan or nonpartisan political fundraising activity, meeting, rally, debate, or convention as a spectator per references (a – f).
2. Marines and other members of the Armed Forces are subject to generally more restrictive rules than federal civilian employees. Reference (a) is a punitive lawful general regulation applicable to Marines and other members of the Armed Forces on active duty. Active duty Marines and Sailors may:
   a. Register to vote and vote.
   b. Express a personal opinion on political candidates or issues but not as a representative of the Armed Forces.
   c. Promote and encourage others to vote, if such does not constitute use of their official authority or influence to interfere with the outcome of any election.
   d. Join a partisan or nonpartisan political club and attend its meetings when not in uniform per references (d) and (e).
   e. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper expressing their personal views on public issues or political candidates, if such action is not part of an organized letter-writing campaign or a solicitation of votes for or against a political party or partisan political cause or candidate. If the letter identifies the member as being on active duty, the letter should clearly state the views expressed are those of the individual only and not those of the Department of Defense.
   f. Make monetary contributions to a political organization, party, or committee favoring a particular candidate subject to campaign finance limitations.
   g. Display a partisan political bumper sticker on a POV.
   h. Attend partisan and nonpartisan political fundraising activities, meetings, rallies, debates, conventions, or activities as a spectator when not in uniform per references (d) and (e).
   i. Participate fully in the Federal Voting Assistance Program.
3. Active duty Marines may not:
   a. Participate in partisan political fundraising activities.
   b. Use official authority or influence to interfere with an election.
   c. Speak before a partisan political gathering, including any gathering that promotes a partisan political party, candidate, or cause.
   d. Perform clerical or other duties for a partisan political committee or candidate during a campaign (e.g., stuffing envelopes, manning a phone bank, precinct walking, distributing campaign literature and buttons, etc.), on Election Day, or after an Election Day during the process of closing out a campaign.
   e. Solicit or otherwise engage in fundraising activities in federal offices or facilities, including military installations, for any political cause or candidate.
   f. March or ride in a partisan political parade.
   g. Display a large political sign, banner, or poster (as distinguished from a bumper sticker) on a private vehicle.
   h. Display a partisan political sign, poster, banner, or similar device visible to the public at one’s residence on a military installation, even if that residence is part of a privatized housing development.
4. Online/social media guidance for Active duty Marines and Sailors per reference (b).
   a. An active duty Marine or Sailor may generally express his or her own personal views on public issues or candidates via social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or personal blogs, much the same as they would be permitted to write a letter to the editor of a newspaper. If a social media site/post identifies the member as on active duty (or if the member is otherwise identifiable as an active duty member), then the entry must clearly and prominently state that the views expressed are those of the individual only and not those of the Department of Defense.
   b. An active duty member may not engage in any partisan political activity. Further, an active duty member may not post or make direct links to a political party, partisan political candidate, campaign, group, or cause, because such activity is the equivalent of distributing literature on behalf of those entities or individuals, which is prohibited by reference (a).
   c. An active duty member may become a friend of or like the Facebook page, or follow the Twitter account of a political party or partisan candidate, campaign, group, or cause.  However, active duty members will refrain from engaging in activities with respect to those entities’ social media accounts that would constitute political activity. This would include, for example, suggesting that others like, friend, or follow the political party, partisan political candidate, campaign, group, or cause, or forwarding an invitation or solicitation from said entities to others per reference (a).
   d. In addition to reference (a), active duty Marines and Sailors are subject to additional restrictions based on reference (d), the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and service rules governing the use of government resources and governmental communications systems such as email and internet usage. e. Members of the Armed Forces not on active duty are not subject to the social media restrictions listed above so long as the member does not act in a manner that could reasonably create the perception or appearance of official sponsorship, approval, or endorsement by the DoD or by the member’s service branch.
5. Under reference (f), most federal civilian employees may take an active part in partisan political management and partisan political campaigns while off duty and outside the federal workplace. There are significant restrictions on fundraising, running for office in partisan elections, using one’s official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the result of an election, and engaging in such activities in any federal workplace. Permissible activities include registering to vote and voting as you choose, assisting in voter registration drives by nonpartisan organizations (e.g., League of Women Voters), making a financial contribution to a political party or candidate, attending political fundraising functions and displaying a partisan bumper sticker on an employee’s private vehicle in a government parking lot. Prohibited activities include soliciting or receiving political contributions at any time, wearing campaign badges or buttons on government premises, displaying campaign materials (pictures, posters, coffee mugs, mouse pads, etc.) in a federal workplace, distributing campaign materials on government property, distributing political materials over government email systems (e.g., sending partisan emails to co-workers urging support of a political candidate), and distributing political materials to subordinates through any email system.
6. Guidance for civilian federal employees on the Hatch Act and use of social media and email may be found at https://osc.gov/pages/hatch-act-social-media-and-email-guidance.aspx
7. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is responsible for investigating reports or complaints concerning Hatch Act violations committed by covered federal employees.  Penalties for violating the Hatch Act include removal, reduction in grade, debarment from employment, suspension, and civil penalty.
8. Marines, Sailors, and civilian employees who have questions concerning the scope of permissible political activities are encouraged to consult with their supporting Staff Judge Advocate or counsel before engaging in such activity.
9. Release authorized by MajGen J. R. Ewers Jr. Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps.//