Why Do Candidates Have To Say 'I Approve This Message' In Ads?

As political season approaches you've probably heard "I approve this message." But why do candidates have to say that?

During political season you'll hear a lot of this: "I'm Blake Masters, and I approve this message."

By now you've heard it a lot. But why do candidates have to say that? It's actually the law. It was part of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002. It requires candidates for federal office to identify themselves and state that they approve of the message in their advertisements. 

The law has some detailed specifics and the Federal Election Commission even has examples from fictional candidates on its Youtube page.