openfec-mcp-server

Openfec Lookup Calendar

openfec_lookup_calendar

Read-onlyIdempotent

Look up FEC calendar events, filing deadlines, and election dates. Use to find upcoming filing windows for a committee, locate when a federal election occurred, or scope FEC events by date range and category.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`mode`	No	events = FEC calendar events. filing_deadlines = report due dates. election_dates = upcoming/past elections.	events
`page`	No	Page number (1-indexed). Default 1.
`state`	No	Two-letter state code (e.g., AZ, CA). Primarily for election_dates mode.
`office`	No	Office sought (H=House, S=Senate, P=President). Election dates mode.
`category`	No	Calendar category ID. 20=Commission Meetings, 21=Reporting Deadlines, 22=Conferences and Outreach, 23=AOs and Rules, 24=Other, 25=Quarterly, 26=Monthly, 27=Pre and Post-Elections, 28=EC Periods, 29=IE Periods, 32=Open Meetings, 33=Conferences, 34=Roundtables, 36=Election Dates, 37=Federal Holidays, 38=FEA Periods, 39=Executive Sessions, 40=Public Hearings. Events mode only.
`max_date`	No	Latest date (YYYY-MM-DD).
`min_date`	No	Earliest date (YYYY-MM-DD).
`per_page`	No	Results per page. Default 20, max 100.
`description`	No	Full-text event description search. Events mode.
`report_type`	No	Report type code (e.g. "Q1", "Q2"). Filing deadlines mode only.
`report_year`	No	Report year. Filing deadlines mode.
`election_year`	No	Election year. Election dates mode.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`mode`	No	Query mode as the server resolved it. Each mode reads a different FEC dataset with its own row shape — calendar events, report due dates, or election dates — so read this rather than inferring the dataset from the fields present.
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`notice`	No	Guidance when the response carries no calendar entries: how to broaden a search that matched nothing, or which requested position ran out when entries did match.
`results`	No	Calendar result set; events, filing deadlines, or election dates depending on mode.
`pagination`	No	Page-based pagination metadata.
`totalCount`	No	Total matching calendar entries before pagination.
`search_criteria`	No	Echo of the search filters this call applied, as the server parsed them, minus paging arguments. Always present — compare it against what you sent to confirm every filter was honoured.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedSep 22, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / notice / description

Previous value: -"Guidance when no calendar entries matched — echoes filters and suggests how to broaden."New value: +"Guidance when the response carries no calendar entries: how to broaden a search that matched nothing, or which requested position ran out when entries did match."

addedOutput schema / properties / pagination / properties / count_is_approximate

Added value: +{
+  "description": "True when OpenFEC reports this count as an estimate rather than a tally, which it does on its highest-volume datasets. Absent means the count is a tally. An estimated count — and the pages derived from it — can be off by a wide margin; treat it as an order of magnitude, not a figure to quote.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedSep 19, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / description

Previous value: -"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `inputs_not_applicable_to_mode`: A filter belonging to a different calendar mode was supplied, which the chosen mode cannot apply Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."New value: +"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `inputs_not_applicable_to_mode`: A filter belonging to a different calendar mode was supplied, which the chosen mode cannot apply. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."

Changed6 schema fields changedAug 25, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "results",
+      "mode",
+      "pagination",
+      "search_criteria",
+      "totalCount"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "data": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "reason": {
+          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `inputs_not_applicable_to_mode`: A filter belonging to a different calendar mode was supplied, which the chosen mode cannot apply Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
+          "examples": [
+            "inputs_not_applicable_to_mode"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "recovery": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
+          "properties": {
+            "hint": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "hint"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "retryable": {
+          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "results",
-  "mode",
-  "pagination",
-  "search_criteria",
-  "totalCount"
-]

Changed3 schema fields changedJul 26, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / mode

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Query mode as the server resolved it. Each mode reads a different FEC dataset with its own row shape — calendar events, report due dates, or election dates — so read this rather than inferring the dataset from the fields present.",
+  "enum": [
+    "events",
+    "filing_deadlines",
+    "election_dates"
+  ],
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / search_criteria / description

Previous value: -"Echo of the search filters that produced this result set. Populated when results are empty to help diagnose why nothing matched."New value: +"Echo of the search filters this call applied, as the server parsed them, minus paging arguments. Always present — compare it against what you sent to confirm every filter was honoured."

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "results",
-  "pagination",
-  "totalCount"
-]New value: +[
+  "results",
+  "mode",
+  "pagination",
+  "search_criteria",
+  "totalCount"
+]

Changed3 schema fields changedMay 30, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / notice

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Guidance when no calendar entries matched — echoes filters and suggests how to broaden.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / totalCount

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Total matching calendar entries before pagination.",
+  "type": "number"
+}

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "results",
-  "pagination"
-]New value: +[
+  "results",
+  "pagination",
+  "totalCount"
+]

Changed6 schema fields changedMay 8, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / category / description

Previous value: -"Calendar category ID for events mode. Common values: \"32\" (reporting deadlines), \"33\" (election dates), \"34\" (quarterly filings). Events mode only."New value: +"Calendar category ID. 20=Commission Meetings, 21=Reporting Deadlines, 22=Conferences and Outreach, 23=AOs and Rules, 24=Other, 25=Quarterly, 26=Monthly, 27=Pre and Post-Elections, 28=EC Periods, 29=IE Periods, 32=Open Meetings, 33=Conferences, 34=Roundtables, 36=Election Dates, 37=Federal Holidays, 38=FEA Periods, 39=Executive Sessions, 40=Public Hearings. Events mode only."

addedInput schema / properties / category / enum

Added value: +[
+  "20",
+  "21",
+  "22",
+  "23",
+  "24",
+  "25",
+  "26",
+  "27",
+  "28",
+  "29",
+  "32",
+  "33",
+  "34",
+  "36",
+  "37",
+  "38",
+  "39",
+  "40"
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / pagination / properties / page / description

Previous value: -"Current page number."New value: +"Current page number (1-indexed)."

changedOutput schema / properties / pagination / properties / pages / description

Previous value: -"Total pages available."New value: +"Total number of pages."

changedOutput schema / properties / results / description

Previous value: -"Calendar records — events, filing deadlines, or election dates depending on mode."New value: +"Calendar result set; events, filing deadlines, or election dates depending on mode."

changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / description

Previous value: -"A calendar record (event, filing deadline, or election date depending on mode)."New value: +"Event record (mode=events), filing deadline record (mode=filing_deadlines), or election date record (mode=election_dates)."

Changed1 schema field changedApr 24, 2026
- addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / description
```
Added value: +"A calendar record (event, filing deadline, or election date depending on mode)."
```
Changed4 schema fields changedApr 21, 2026
- addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties
```
Added value: +{}
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / results / items / propertyNames
```
Removed value: -{
-  "type": "string"
-}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / search_criteria / properties
```
Added value: +{}
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / search_criteria / propertyNames
```
Removed value: -{
-  "type": "string"
-}
```
First observedApr 13, 2026

TDQS

A3.8/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint and idempotentHint, so the description only needs to confirm the read-only nature and add scope; 'Look up' does that. It does not disclose pagination behavior or any operational details, but with safe read-only annotations the gap is minor.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two sentences, no filler, no repeating schema content. The primary purpose is front-loaded and the use cases appear in the second sentence, making it easy to scan.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With 100% schema coverage, the schema already explains each parameter, and the output schema handles return values. The description covers the main use cases; the only meaningful gap is not routing the agent away from openfec_lookup_elections when pure election lookups are needed.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema carries the detailed meaning of mode, category, date filters, and report type. The description adds only a general mention of date range and category, which maps to existing parameters but provides no new semantic information.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description names a specific resource (FEC calendar events, filing deadlines, election dates) and provides concrete use cases, so an agent understands what the tool retrieves. It is distinguishable from candidate/committee search tools, though it does not explicitly differentiate itself from the sibling openfec_lookup_elections despite overlapping election-date functionality.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It gives explicit context with 'Use to find upcoming filing windows... locate when a federal election occurred, or scope FEC events by date range and category.' It lacks exclusions or alternatives such as pointing to openfec_lookup_elections, but the situations described are clear enough for common selection decisions.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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