Parties and Candidates
On this page
- Overview
- Eligibility
- Payment structure
- Lodging a certificate
- Early payment
- Deductions and repayments
- By-elections
Overview
The Electoral (Accountability and Integrity) Amendment Act 2024 introduces advance payments for political participants who lodge a section 130PF certificate. These reforms apply from 1 July 2025 and are part of broader changes to South Australia's electoral funding framework.
Related information
Resources that support this page include:
👉 Advance funding - House of Assembly elections (web page)
👉 Advance funding - Legislative Council elections (web page)
👉 Advance Funding Guide (PDF, 293KB)
Eligibility
Advance public funding is available to:
- Candidates
- Groups
- Registered political parties
- Independent members.
Important: An agent must apply before polling day. Funds are deposited into the state campaign account, not to individuals.
Payment structure
Advance funding is paid in 2 instalments:
- Payment A: 60% of the notional amount (or set amount if not recontesting).
- Payment B: 20% of the notional amount (or set amount if not recontesting).
How it’s calculated
Funding is based on estimated entitlement under section 130P, using either:
- Previous state election results (notional amount), or
- A set amount fixed by legislation.
Different formulas apply for House of Assembly (HA) and Legislative Council (LC) elections.
Lodging a section 130PF certificate
- Must be lodged after the capped expenditure period begins and before polling day
- Once lodged, the certificate cannot be withdrawn
- Late lodgement may result in no advance funding, but you may still qualify under section 130Q(3)(b) if a section 130Q certificate is lodged within 14 days after polling day.
Payment timing
- Payment A – paid as soon as reasonably practicable after the section 130PF certificate is lodged.
- Payment B – paid as soon as reasonably practicable after the writ is issued*.
* For entitled candidates and groups, Payment B is triggered by the nomination of the candidate(s), not the issue of the writ.
Late lodgement
If the certificate is lodged after the writ but before polling day, Payment A and B are combined.
Use of public funding
Funding can be used for campaign-related costs such as:
- Production, display, and distribution of electoral matter
- Stationery and postage for electoral matter
- Mobile phones used primarily for campaign purposes
- Employing staff during the capped expenditure period
- Office accommodation and associated expenditure (other than the headquarters of a registered political party)
- Advertising (production, distribution, publishing).
Prohibited: General administration or operational costs unrelated to the campaign.
Early payment of certain advance funding
Under Section 130PD of the Electoral Act 1985, certain political participants may request an early payment of a portion of their advance public funding before the capped expenditure period begins.
👉 See our Advance Funding Early Payment page for more information
Deductions and repayments
Advance public funding received for both House of Assembly and Legislative Council elections is deducted from the final public funding entitlement under section 130P of the Electoral Act.
You may need to repay advance funding if:
- No candidates are nominated
- Candidates don't meet vote thresholds
- HA: Must receive at least 4% of first preference votes
- LC: Must receive at least 2% of first preference votes
- Overpayment occurs.
By-elections
Advance public funding is available in a House of Assembly by-election, but only under strict conditions.
👉 Learn more on our advance funding for HA by-elections page
On this page
Administrative funding amounts
Administrative funding is paid twice a year to eligible registered political parties and independent members of parliament. The amount each participant receives depends on the number of elected members they have in the South Australian Parliament. All funding amounts are half-yearly entitlements and are indexed annually in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The following table outlines the half-yearly administrative funding amounts available to eligible participants.
Funding by participant type
| Recipient type | Elected members | Half-yearly funding amount |
| Registered political party | 1 member | $85,000 |
| Registered political party | 2 members | $245,000 |
| Registered political party | Each additional member beyond 2 | $55,000 (capped) |
| Registered political party | Maximum funding cap | $800,000 |
| Independent member of parliament | 1 member | $20,000 |
Payments made under the administrative funding scheme for each half-year period are shown in the table below.
Administrative funding payments by period
| Expenditure period | Australian Labor Party ($) | Liberal Party ($) | The Greens ($) | Jing Lee - Better Community ($) | SA Best ($) | Sarah Game Fair Go for Australians ($) | Geoffrey Graeme Brock ($) | Daniel Roy Cregan ($) | Fraser John Ellis ($) | Philip Nicholas Mc Bride ($) | LC - Tammy Anne Franks ($) |
| 1 Jul 2025 - 31 Dec 2025 | 800,000.00 | 800,000.00 | 85,000.00 | 85,000.00 | 85,000.00 | 85,000.00 | 20,000.00 | - | - | 20,000.00 | 20,000.00 |
| Total | 800,000.00 | 800,000.00 | 85,000.00 | 85,000.00 | 85,000.00 | 85,000.00 | 20,000.00 | - | - | 20,000.00 | 20,000.00 |
| Administrative funding paid to date: $2,000,000.00 | |||||||||||
One-off payments
The one‑off payment reimburses eligible administrative costs arising from recent funding and disclosure reforms. It recognises the additional workload placed on registered political parties and independent members of parliament. Claims can be made between 1 July 2025 and 3 August 2026, subject to the applicable funding limits.
Funding limit
- Registered political parties: up to $200,000
- Independent members of parliament: up to $50,000
One-off payment recipients
| Name | Amount |
| Liberal Party of Australia (SA) | $191,011.56 |
Overview
A state campaign account is a dedicated financial institution account that must be used by political participants in South Australian state elections to manage donations, public funding, and political expenditure. These accounts are required for candidates, groups, registered political parties, and third parties*.
* Third parties only need a state campaign account if they receive amounts that must be paid into one under the Act.
Notification form
Agents must complete the State Campaign Account Notification form to register account details with the Electoral Commission. The form is available via the link below and must be lodged before the account can be used for deposits or expenditure.
👉 To access the form, visit our Resources Page.
Key requirements
- The state campaign account must be established with an authorised deposit-taking institution (ADI).
A list of ADIs can be found on the APRA Register of Authorised Deposit-taking Institutions. - Must be registered with the Electoral Commission
- The Electoral Commissioner maintains a register of state campaign accounts and your account must be listed on the register before it can be used.
- Agents are responsible for providing account details, including the name and account number, the agent responsible for the account and any other details required by the Electoral Commissioner.
Money that must be deposited
- Public funding payments
- Donations received (unless unlawful, not electoral donations or excluded by regulation)
- Funds for political expenditure or reimbursement
- For mixed-purpose payments, only the portion for political expenditure must be deposited.
Money that must not be deposited
- Administrative or policy development payments
- Transfers from federal campaign accounts under the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.
Note: If money is mistakenly deposited, it is not an offence, as long as the agent takes reasonable steps to withdraw it immediately upon becoming aware of the error.
On this page
- Overview
- Electoral reforms
- Public funding
- Appointing an agent
- Prescribed details
- State campaign accounts
- Expenditure caps
- Reporting and disclosure obligations
- Types of funding
- By-elections
Overview
The Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) provides funding to support election-related activities under the Electoral Act 1985 (the Act). This includes funding for registered political parties, independent MPs, candidates, and groups. All payments are indexed annually in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Key funding streams
Registered political parties may be eligible for:
- Public funding - including advance payments to support campaign activities
- Administrative expenditure funding - covering operational costs, with options for one-off payments
- Policy development funding - to assist in the formulation of party policies.
Electoral reforms
From 1 July 2025, the Electoral (Accountability and Integrity) Amendment Act 2024 introduced reforms to South Australia’s electoral framework to strengthen transparency, accountability, and integrity in electoral funding and political donations.
To support stakeholders, ECSA will provide ongoing guidance to assist participants in understanding their obligations under the new legislation; however, independent legal advice is encouraged.
Public funding
Public funding supports registered political parties in covering costs associated with state election campaigns and by-elections.
Eligibility
To qualify for public funding:
- A political party must be registered for at least 8 months prior to the election.
- Funding is only available for endorsed candidates or groups who receive eligible votes (i.e. first preference votes on formal ballot papers).
- The amount payable is determined by section 130P of the Act.
Funding entitlement
Public funding is calculated per eligible vote and varies depending on the party’s parliamentary representation at the time of the election. There are 2 types of entitlements: standard, for parties with at least one sitting member of parliament, and tapered, for parties without parliamentary representation.
| Party status | Entitlement type | Funding rate (2026 indexed) |
|
Party with at least one MP at dissolution |
Standard |
$5.50 per eligible vote |
| Party with no MPs at dissolution |
Tapered |
$6.00 per vote for first 10% of total primary votes $5.50 per vote thereafter |
Important:
- Funding is limited to actual political expenditure incurred.
- No payment will be made without satisfactory evidence of campaign-related costs.
- Payments are indexed annually in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Appointing an agent
Agents manage funding and disclosure obligations and ensure compliance with the Act.
👉 See our agents page for details.
Prescribed details for returns
Under the Act, all participants required to lodge returns, including registered political parties, third parties, associated entities, and their agents, must include prescribed details to meet funding and disclosure obligations.
👉 See our prescribed details page for more information.
State campaign accounts
Required for managing donations, public funding, and political expenditure. Must be opened with an authorised bank and registered with ECSA.
👉 See our state campaign accounts page for details.
Expenditure caps
Expenditure caps apply to political participants during election periods. These rules help ensure fairness and transparency in campaign spending.
- Spending limits apply from 1 July before the election to 30 days after polling day.
- Participants spending over $5,000 must lodge a capped expenditure return within 60 days after polling day.
👉 See our expenditure caps page for details.
Reporting and disclosure obligations
For registered political parties, section 130ZN of the Act outlines the reporting requirements. The agent of each registered political party is required to submit a political party return at prescribed times, in a format approved by the Electoral Commissioner.
👉 See our reporting and disclosure obligations for political parties page for details.
Types of funding
Advance funding
Registered political parties may apply for advance funding before polling day by lodging a section 130PF certificate. Once lodged, the certificate cannot be withdrawn.
Advance funding is paid in instalments and calculated based on either:
- Previous election results (notional amount), or
- A legislated set amount (e.g. $2,500 per candidate – 2026 indexed)
Eligibility, payment structure, and repayment rules vary depending on:
- Whether the party is recontesting
- Whether endorsed candidates are current or former MPs
- Whether the election is for the House of Assembly or the Legislative Council.
👉 For full details, see:
By-elections
Advance public funding is available in a House of Assembly by-election, but only under strict conditions.
👉 Learn more on our advance funding page.
Administrative funding
Administrative funding (formerly known as special assistance funding) is a form of public funding provided under Division 5 of the Electoral Act 1985 (the Act). It is paid as a half-yearly entitlement to eligible registered political parties and independent members of parliament to assist with the reimbursement of administrative expenditure.
Funding is available to:
- Registered political parties with one or more members in the South Australian Parliament (House of Assembly or Legislative Council)
- Independent members of parliament.
👉See or administrative funding page for details.
Policy development funding
Policy development funding supports eligible registered political parties by reimbursing costs related to developing party policies. This funding is separate from campaign-related funding and is subject to specific eligibility and expenditure rules.