Buying of the President

Published — October 20, 2016 Updated — October 21, 2016 at 11:14 am ET

23 numbers to know about Election 2016

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton walks off stage as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump puts his notes away after the third presidential debate at UNLV in Las Vegas on Oct. 19, 2016. John Locher/AP

New facts, figures and curiosities that help explain a wild campaign

Introduction

Roughly $1.8 billion has been spent in the 2016 presidential race, according to a Center for Public Integrity analysis of campaign finance filings through the end of September.

And as Election Day draws near, Democrat Hillary Clinton and her allies have been massively outspending Republican Donald Trump and his supporters.

Here are some key takeaways from the latest round of campaign finance reports, filed today with the Federal Election Commission:

Total amount of funds Republican Donald Trump has personally put into his 2016 presidential campaign: $56 million

Amount he’s invested since June 1, after winning the GOP nomination: $10 million

Portion of Trump’s general election war chest his own funds account for: 6 percent

Price of a “Hillary for prison” button three-pack on Trump’s campaign website: $6

Factor by which Democrat Hillary Clinton and her allies have outspent Trump and his supporters during the 2016 election cycle: More than 2-to-1

Total amount raised by pro-Clinton super PAC Priorities USA Action in 2016: $117 million

Portion of that haul from hedge fund manager Donald Sussman alone: 1/7

Amount Evan McMullin, a former CIA operative and U.S. House staffer now running as an independent presidential candidate, had in his campaign war chest as of Sept. 30: $4,317

Percentage of Utah residents supporting McMullin in a new poll by Emerson College: 31

Amount former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson’s campaign pulled in from renting its donor list in September, then immediately contributed to Carson’s new nonprofit, My Faith Votes: $405,794

Number of Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency: 270

Portion of TV ads so far this month in the swing state of Florida — the winner takes 29 electoral votes — that have been sponsored by Clinton and her supporters: 2/3

How frequently a pro-Clinton or anti-Trump TV ad has, on average, aired so far this month in Florida: Every 2 minutes

Date on which Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson most recently aired a TV ad: Sept. 16

Date on which the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Johnson was not polling high enough to be included in the first debate: Sept. 16

Date on which Trump declared, “I don’t believe the polls anymore”: Oct. 18

Amount the Trump campaign spent in September on polling: $1.7 million

Amount the Trump campaign spent last month on legal fees/consulting: $497,591

Amount the Clinton campaign spent on legal fees/consulting during the same period: $118,652

Amount the Clinton campaign spent in September at the Trump International Hotel in New York City for what it described as “merchandise not made in America,” which it highlighted in a campaign video: $260

Amount Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein’s campaign spent in September on “security consulting services”: $8,100

Estimated U.S. voting age population in November 2012: 235 million

Portion that voted in the 2012 presidential election: 54.87 percent

Chris Zubak-Skees contributed to this report

This article was co-published with The Huffington Post.

Read more in Money and Democracy

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