The Hatch Act and Your Rights to (and Prohibitions from) Political Activity
With elections just around the corner, political campaigns are kicking into high gear and it's nearly impossible to go through a day without a friend or colleague engaging in discussions about candidates, caucuses, and party nominations.
As a federal employee, it's critical for you to be aware of and understand the Hatch Act. The Hatch Act of 1939 is a federal law that prohibits federal employees (except the President and the Vice President) in the executive branch of the federal government from engaging in certain partisan political activity. The Office of Special Counsel enforces the Hatch Act and can impose penalties of anywhere from a 30-day suspension without pay, to termination, for employees who violate the Hatch Act.
This Hatch Act "cheat sheet" gives you a quick summary of permitted and prohibited partisan political activity.
For a more thorough explantion, go to the GovExec.com website.