October 17, 2022
Paying a person, such as an influencer, to post on social media in support of or in opposition to a candidate or ballot measure campaign meets the definition of political advertising under state law. RCW 42.17A.005 (40)
Like other political advertising, payments should be reported to the PDC by the sponsor. Reporting should include how much money was spent on advertising, which candidates or ballot measures benefited from the advertising and, in some cases, when the advertising was presented to the public.
In addition, the social media post must include appropriate sponsor identification. When online posts have restricted space or characters, you can link to the required sponsorship information that’s posted on a separate website.
See the PDC’s Political Advertising Guide for more information.