For many Americans, Dec. 31 might involve party-hopping, watching the ball drop in Times Square or making some short-lived resolutions and promises.

For those who operate in the political world, New Year’s Eve also is an important campaign finance deadline that spawns the kind of urgent-sounding, last-minute solicitations for political donations.

The national party committees and candidates for Congress like to bank as much money as they can by year’s end to project an image of financial strength to political opponents (and to the political reporters and pundits who analyze campaign finance documents).