on behalf of a federal candidate or political party. For example, this provision would prohibit any person from raising money by claiming that he or she represented federal candidate A, when, in fact, the person had no such authority. 14. Retention of Federal Election Records: 52 U.S.C. § 20701 The detection, investigation, and proof of election crimes – and in many instances Voting Rights Act violations – often depend on documentation generated during the voter registration, voting, tabulation, and election certification processes. In recognition of this fact, and the length of time it can take for credible evidence suggesting election fraud or voting rights violations to develop, Congress enacted Section 20701 to require that documentation generated in connection with the voting and registration process be retained for twenty-two months if it pertained to an election that included a federal candidate. Absent this statute, the disposition of election documentation would be subject solely to state law, which in virtually all states permits its destruction within a few months after the election is certified. Section 20701 provides for criminal misdemeanor penalties for any election officer who willfully fails to retain records covered by the statute. Section 20702 provides similar criminal penalties for election officers or other persons who willfully steal, destroy, or alter covered records. 35 In addition to these criminal penalties, the reach of this statute to specific categories of election documentation is critical to both prosecutors and election administrators, who must often 35 Election administrators, document custodians, or other persons who willfully violate Section 20701 or Section 20702 are subject to imprisonment for up to one year. 75