Register of political parties

Registered political party Date of registration Abbreviation of party name
Animal Justice Party 24/11/2016  
Australian Family Party 11/11/2021 Aust Family Party
Australian Greens SA 13/02/1996 The Greens
Australian Labor Party (South Australian Branch) 17/10/1985 Australian Labor Party
Family First Party Inc 13/01/2022 Family First
Legalise Cannabis South Australia Party 27/01/2022 LCSA Party
Liberal Democratic Party 27/01/2022 Liberal Democrats less government more freedom
Liberal Party of Australia (SA Division) 17/10/1985 Liberal Party
National Party of Australia (SA) Inc 17/10/1985 The Nationals
Pauline Hanson's One Nation 16/09/2021  
Real Change SA 20/01/2022  
SA-BEST Incorporated 04/07/2017 SA-BEST
United Voice Australia Party 27/03/2025 United Voice Australia

Public Funding Deadlines

The Electoral Act 1985 provides a public funding scheme in which candidates may be entitled to funding as reimbursement of political expenditure. To participate in the scheme, candidates must lodge a 130Y certificate before the deadline. Participants of the scheme are subject to capped limits on their political expenditure.

Lodgement deadlines will vary depending on the type of candidate.

If you are an:

  • Endorsed candidate
  • Unendorsed candidate – not a ‘new candidate’
  • Unendorsed candidate- who is a new candidate and has already announced their candidacy for the by-election.

ECSA must be provided with a certificate under section 130Y on or before 5 pm on the day of the by-election being announced by the Speaker.

If you are an:

  • Unendorsed ‘new candidate’

ECSA must be provided with a certificate under section 130Y on or before 5 pm on the day you announce your candidacy or nominate (whichever occurs first).

(Note: You are not defined as a new candidate if you have stood for election to the House of Assembly within the preceding 5 years or for election in the Legislative Council within the preceding 9 years. Refer to section 130ZF(5)(b) of the Act for further information.)

For more information about public funding, please contact the Compliance Branch on 7424 7400.

Public Funding Deadline - Black By-election

The Electoral Act 1985 provides a public funding scheme in which candidates may be entitled to funding as reimbursement of political expenditure. To participate in the scheme, candidates must lodge a 130Y certificate before the deadline. Participants of the scheme are subject to capped limits on their political expenditure.

Lodgement deadlines will vary depending on the type of candidate.

If you are an:

  • Endorsed candidate
  • Unendorsed candidate – not a ‘new candidate’
  • Unendorsed candidate- who is a new candidate and has already announced their candidacy for the by-election.

ECSA must be provided with a certificate under section 130Y on or before 5 pm on the day of the by-election being announced by the Speaker.

If you are an:

  • Unendorsed ‘new candidate’

ECSA must be provided with a certificate under section 130Y on or before 5 pm on the day you announce your candidacy or nominate (whichever occurs first).

(Note: You are not defined as a new candidate if you have stood for election to the House of Assembly within the preceding 5 years or for election in the Legislative Council within the preceding 9 years. Refer to section 130ZF(5)(b) of the Act for further information.)

For more information about public funding, please contact the Compliance Branch on 7424 7400.

Candidate returns - council elections

A person who is a candidate for election to an office of a council must lodge the following returns with the Electoral Commissioner:

CAMPAIGN DONATIONS RETURN - all councils including the City of Adelaide

Candidates (for all councils including the City of Adelaide) must lodge a campaign donations return with the Electoral Commissioner.

Candidates must lodge 2 returns:

For a periodic election:

  • the first campaign donation return must be lodged with the returning officer in the period between 22 to 28 days after the close of nominations
  • the second campaign donation return must be lodged within 30 days after the conclusion of the election.

For any other type of election (supplementary, etc.):

  • the first campaign donation return must be lodged with the returning officer in the period between 8 to 14 days after the close of nominations
  • the second campaign donation return must be lodged within 30 days after the conclusion of the election.

The return must disclose:

  • the total amount or value of all gifts received during the disclosure period
  • the number of people who made those gifts
  • the amount or value of each gift
  • the date on which each gift was made
  • details of persons and organisations (donors) providing those gifts.

The campaign donations return need not set out any details in respect of:

  • a private gift made to the candidate
  • a gift with an amount or value less than $500
  • a gift already disclosed in a large gift return

If a candidate is not required to provide any details in a return, the campaign donations return must still be lodged and include a statement to the effect that no gifts of a kind required to be disclosed were received.

LARGE GIFTS RETURN - all councils including the City of Adelaide

All candidates (for all councils including the City of Adelaide) must lodge a large gifts return if they receive a gift or gifts from a donor in excess of $2,500.

The Acts prescribe different times that the large gifts return must be lodged, but during the election year, a large gift return must be lodged within 5 days of receipt of the large gift.

The return must disclose:

  • the amount or value of each gift received
  • details of persons and organisations (donors) providing those gifts
  • the date on which each gift was made.

Two or more gifts (excluding private gifts) made by the same person to a candidate during the disclosure period are to be treated as one gift.

A large gifts return need not set out any details in respect of a private gift made to the candidate. A gift to a candidate is a private gift if it is made in a private capacity to the candidate for their personal use and the candidate has not used, and will not use, the gift solely or substantially for a purpose related to the election.

Large gifts returns should be lodged with ECSA at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURE RETURN - City of Adelaide only

Candidates for City of Adelaide elections must lodge a campaign expenditure return, in addition to any campaign donation return or large gift return.

A campaign expenditure return must be lodged within 30 days of the conclusion of the election and set out all details of campaign expenditure in relation to the election incurred by or with the authority of the candidate.

If a candidate does not incur more than $500 in campaign expenditure, they may lodge a ‘NIL’ return.

The types of expenditure defined as campaign expenditure are set out in section 25(2) of the City of Adelaide Act 1998 and they include items such as:

  • the broadcasting of an electoral advertisement
  • production and display of an electoral advertisement
  • production of material requiring the author or printer of the material to be displayed in accordance with section 27 LGEA 1999
  • consulting and advertising agency fees
  • production and distribution of electoral material.

Disclosure requirements previous elections

Offences

See section 85 of the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 and section 29 of the City of Adelaide Act 1998. It is an offence to fail to lodge a return within time, to lodge a return containing false or misleading information, or to supply information that is false or misleading to another person for a return. The maximum penalty is $10,000.

Public inspection of returns

The Electoral Commissioner is required to publish all returns within prescribed times on a website maintained by the returning officer. Campaign donation returns and large gift returns disclosed by candidates standing in council election are available on each candidate's online profile.

* The above link will take you to our council elections results site. Each candidate's return is accessed via their profile by selecting the blue button beside the relevant donation return.

Records

See section 89 of the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 and section 33 of the City of Adelaide Act 1988. A person must take reasonable steps to retain all records relevant to a return and keep these for at least 4 years after the date of which the relevant return is required to be lodged. The maximum penalty is $5,000.

More information

Disclaimer: The information provided above is general in nature. Candidates and others should refer to the specific wording of the Act and Regulations and seek independent legal or other advice on any issues of interpretation that may arise.

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