Advance funding - House of Assembly

On this page

• General elections
• Payment structure
• Lodging a certificate
• Early payment
• Deductions and repayments
• Compliance and auditing
• By-elections

Advance public funding is a new initiative introduced under the Electoral (Accountability and Integrity) Amendment Act 2024. It provides eligible political participants with early access to public funds to support their state election campaigns.

This funding is available to candidates, groups, registered political parties, and independent members who meet specific requirements and lodge the appropriate certificate before polling day. Payments are made in instalments and are calculated based on previous election results or a legislated set amount.

Advance funding is designed to help cover legitimate campaign costs during the capped expenditure period. Strict rules apply to eligibility, timing, use of funds, and repayment obligations.

General elections

Under section 130PA of the Electoral Act 1985 (the Act), the Electoral Commissioner may provide advance public funding to eligible political participants contesting House of Assembly districts in a general election. These payments are made in 2 instalments and are designed to assist with campaign costs.

Eligibility

Advance payments are available to:

• Registered political parties
• Entitled registered political parties
• Independent members of parliament
• Entitled candidates (not endorsed by a party).

To receive funding, the agent of the recipient must lodge a section 130PF certificate with the Electoral Commissioner before polling day.

Payment structure

Advance funding is paid in 2 instalments:

• Payment A: 60% of the notional amount (or set amount if not recontesting)
  • Payment A is made after the section 130PF certificate is lodged.
• Payment B: 20% of the notional amount (or set amount if not recontesting)
  • Payment B is made 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.

Payments are made to the state campaign account, not to individuals.

How it's calculated

Notional amount = (eligible votes from previous election x per-vote amount) minus deductible amount (section 130Q).

Funding is based on estimated entitlement under section 130P, using either:

• Previous state election results (notional amount), or
• A set amount fixed by legislation.

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Advance funding by recipient

Note: Candidates who have already provided 20 nominators for advance funding don’t need to supply them again.

Lodging a section 130PF certificate

Timing:

• Must be lodged after the capped expenditure period begins.
• Must be lodged before polling day.
• If the certificate is lodged after the writ but before polling day, payment A and B are combined into one payment.

Once lodged:

• The certificate cannot be withdrawn.

Missed deadline:

• No advance funding will be paid.
• You may still qualify under section 130Q(3)(b) if a section 130Q certificate is lodged within 14 days after polling day.

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Early payment of certain advance funding

Under section 130PD of the Act, certain political participants may request an early payment of a portion of their advance public funding before the capped expenditure period begins.

👉 See advance funding early payment page for more information

Deductions and repayments

Section 130PE of the Act outlines how advance public funding received under sections 130PA to 130PD is managed in relation to final public funding entitlements for House of Assembly elections.

Deductions

Any advance funding received for House of Assembly elections will be deducted from the amount of public funding payable under section 130P. 

Repayment

The Electoral Commissioner may require repayment of advance funding if any of the following conditions apply:

1. Non-participation
   No candidate, group or party is nominated for the election.
   Exception: A valid reason for non-participation may be accepted by the Electoral Commissioner.

2. No entitlement to public funding
   Repayment may be required if the agent represents:

   • A party with no members of parliament at the time of dissolution.
   • A candidate or group with no parliamentary representation
     and there is no entitlement under section 130Q(1) or (2).

3. Vote threshold not met
   Candidates or groups must receive at least 4% of first preference votes in the election to retain advance funding.

4. Party dissolution
   Advance funding must be repaid if the party:
   • Ceases to operate
   • Is deregistered, or
   • Is being dissolved or wound up before polling day.

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Compliance and auditing

Participants who receive advance public funding are subject to compliance obligations under the Act and the Regulations. These obligations ensure that public funds are used appropriately and transparently.

Record-keeping requirements

All participants must maintain accurate and complete records of:

• Campaign-related expenditure funded by advance payments.
• Invoices, receipts, and contracts for goods and services.
• Staff employment records and payment details.
• Advertising materials and distribution logs.
• Bank statements for the state campaign account.

Records must be retained for at least 4 years after polling day and be made available to the Electoral Commissioner upon request.

Auditing and review

The Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) may:

• Audit campaign expenditure to verify compliance with funding rules.
• Request supporting documentation for any claimed expenses.
• Investigate potential misuse of public funds or breaches of the Act.

Participants may be required to repay funds if:

• Expenditure is found to be ineligible.
• Records are incomplete or inaccurate.
• The participant fails to meet vote thresholds or other eligibility criteria.

Penalties for non-compliance

Failure to comply with funding conditions may result in:

• Repayment of advance funding.
• Loss of future funding eligibility.
• Referral for investigation under electoral or criminal law.

ECSA encourages all participants to seek professional advice and maintain strong financial governance throughout the campaign period.

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By-elections

Under Section 130PB of the Act, candidates and registered political parties participating in a House of Assembly by-election may be eligible for advance public funding.

Eligibility

Advance payments may be made to:

• Entitled registered political parties that endorse a candidate.
• Entitled candidates, whether endorsed or independent.

Types of payments

Notional amount = eligible votes from previous election x per-vote funding rate under section 130P.

(This applies whether the previous election was part of a general election or a standalone district election.)

Designated amount = the lesser of:

• $50,000 ÷ total number of endorsed candidates (2026 indexed), or
• $5,000 (2026 indexed).

Disclosure period

The disclosure period for a House of Assembly by-election runs from the day the vacancy is announced until 30 days after polling day.

Certificate requirements

The agent must lodge a section 130PF certificate before polling day to receive payment. Payments are made to the state campaign account, not to individuals. If this deadline is missed, a section 130Q certificate may be lodged within 14 days after polling day. Payments are made as soon as reasonably practicable after the agent lodges the certificate.

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