Meta has confirmed its pre-election restriction period for the 2026 US midterms. No new ads about social issues, elections or politics targeting the US can start from 12:01am PT on October 27 through 11:59pm PT on November 3. Ads that already delivered an impression with a valid disclaimer can keep running, but with only a few edits allowed.
What is restricted
The restriction, posted on the Meta for Developers blog on October 6, covers new US ads in the social issues, elections or politics category. It follows the same approach Meta used in 2020, 2022 and 2024. Meta's stated reason is that in the final days of a campaign there may not be enough time to contest new claims made in ads.
Which ads can keep running
An ad keeps delivering during the window only if it has a valid disclaimer and received at least one impression before 12:01am PT on October 27. Approval alone is not enough; the ad must actually have served.
- Allowed: change bid, budget and scheduled end date
- Allowed: pause and resume an ad that already had an impression
- Not allowed: creative, placement, targeting or optimization changes
Who it affects beyond campaigns
The category is broader than candidate ads. Advocacy, cause-led brand messaging and other social issue topics fall under it, so brands and agencies running issue-adjacent creative to US audiences should check whether their ads are classified that way. Meta recommended finishing ad authorization and disclaimer setup by October 13 and submitting ads before October 20, so anyone not set up yet is effectively out for this cycle.
API and practical steps
Marketing API users must set ISSUES_ELECTIONS_POLITICS in the special_ad_categories field when creating these ads; without it the ad lacks the disclaimer the rule depends on. Get your final creatives and targeting live and serving before October 27, since you will be locked to budget and bid changes after that. Expect heavier competition in US auctions in the final week, as political spenders who did qualify concentrate budgets.
What it means for you
- Launch any US issue or political ads before 12:01am PT October 27 and confirm they served.
- Set final creative and targeting now; only bid, budget and end date can change later.
- Check whether cause or advocacy creative is classed as a social issue ad.
- Budget for higher US CPMs in the last week before November 3.
Sources
- Meta for Developers: Upcoming 2026 restriction period for US ads
- PPC Land: Meta blocks new US political ads for 8 days before the midterm vote
