How Well Do You Know the Hatch Act?

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All questions must be answered before you can continue.

Can I run for office while keeping my federal job?

You may indeed run for non-partisan offices, but that’s it.

TRUE or FALSE: It is OK to repeat a slogan from a political campaign during a conversation with a taxpayer on my agency’s customer service phone line.

It’s definitely not OK to cite campaign rhetoric to callers to the customer service line.

TRUE or FALSE: I can send my colleagues an email invitation to a political fundraising event, as long as I use my personal email account.

You may not invite work colleagues to a political fundraiser, no matter what email account you use to send the invitation.

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All questions must be answered before you can continue.

TRUE or FALSE: I need to delete any links my Facebook friends post on my wall soliciting donations for a political candidate.

You’re not accountable for what your friends post on Facebook.

I want to make a political campaign logo my Facebook profile picture. Which of the following apply:

Feel free to change your profile picture to a logo, but just don’t post anything from that account while you’re at work.

Which of the following emails would violate the Hatch Act if sent while on the clock in a federal job?

You may not forward an email from Biden endorsing a political candidate.

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All questions must be answered before you can continue.

My friend just made a witty comment about a political candidate on social media. Can I “like” or retweet it?

Sure, knock yourself out -- just don’t do it while you’re on the clock.

TRUE or FALSE: I can post whatever I want on social media while I’m telecommuting, since I’m not on government property.

Nope. You’re still a government employee, even when you’re not on government property.

I really want to engage in political activity on social media. Can I just create a separate account under an alias and post whatever I want?

Feel free to create your alter ego, but remember that the same rules apply to that account as to accounts under your real name.

TRUE or FALSE: If I put a bumper sticker with a political campaign slogan on my personal vehicle, then I can’t park it in a government-owned lot.

Feel free to put a bumper sticker on your car.. As long as you’re legally parked in that government lot, and as long as you limit it to just one bumper sticker, you have nothing to worry about.