Parties and Candidates

Details

Policy development funding provides reimbursement to eligible registered political parties for policy development expenditure incurred during a calendar year.

For full instructions and legislative references, see the Policy Development Funding Guide.

Eligibility

A party is eligible for annual payments if:

  • It is an entitled registered political party for at least 12 months during the full calendar year of expenditure, and
  • It is not receiving administrative funding.
Note: A registered party is considered eligible if it has been registered for 12 months or more as of 1 January and remains registered for the entire calendar year.

Funding amount

Eligible parties may receive up to $20,000 per year (indexed from 2026), based on actual policy development expenditure.

Important: This funding must not be paid into a state campaign account and cannot be used for political or electoral expenditure.

What qualifies as policy development expenditure

Expenditure may include activities such as:

  • Hosting conferences, seminars, meetings, or similar functions where party policies are discussed.
  • Providing information about party policies to members and supporters.
  • Conducting research for the purpose of developing party policies.

How to claim

Eligible parties can submit a claim to the Electoral Commission of South Australia within 30 days after the end of the calendar year to which the expenditure relates.

Details

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.

Details

On this page:

Forms and Guides - Election

These forms and guides support the nomination of candidates and the lodgement of voting tickets for the 2026 State Election. They outline the requirements for both House of Assembly and Legislative Council candidates.

House of Assembly
Forms
Guides
Legislative Council
Forms
Guides

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Forms and Guides - Compliance

Used for registration, funding, disclosure, and ongoing obligations under the Act.

Forms
Guides

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Information sheets and infographics

Additional forms and guidance materials are currently under development and will be published here as they are finalised.

If you are unable to locate a specific form or have urgent compliance requirements, contact the Compliance Branch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 08 7424 7400.

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Details

Definition of a third party

Under Part 13A, section 130A of the Electoral Act 1985 (the Act), a third party is any individual or organisation (other than those specifically excluded) that either:

  • incurs, or intends to incur, more than $10,000 in political expenditure during the designated election period; or
  • incurred more than $10,000 in political expenditure during the designated period for the previous general election.

A third party must not incur more than $10,000 in political expenditure during the designated period unless registered under Division 8A of the Act.

Entities excluded from registration

The following are excluded from registration requirements:

  • Members of Parliament (House of Assembly or Legislative Council)
  • Government or public sector agencies
  • Registered political parties, candidates, or groups
  • Broadcasters or datacasters
  • Publishers of journals (including online publications).

👉 Learn more about third parties, including registration information, on our dedicated third parties page.

Third-party registrations - 2026 State Election

  • Final date to register: 6 March 2026 (at least 45 days before the end of the register period).
Name of third party Business address ABN/ACN Agent Date of registration
Advance Aus Limited Level 4, 15 Moore Street
CANBERRA ACT 2601		   Matthew Sheahan 18/04/2022
Ambulance Employees Association of SA 13 Hindmarsh Place
HINDMARSH SA 5007		   Paul Ekkelboom 18/04/2022
Australia Life Pty Ltd Level 4, 110 George Street
PARRAMATTA NSW 2150		 37 673 056 936 Joanna Howe 31/12/2025
Australian Christian Lobby Level 1, 18 National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600		 40 075 120 517  Ashlyn Vice 21/01/2026
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (SA Branch) 191 Torrens Road
RIDLEYTON SA 5008		   Andy Dallisson 18/04/2022
Christopher Pyne Level 23, 91 King William Street
ADELAIDE SA 5000		   Christopher Pyne 23/01/2026
GetUp Limited Suite 25/Level 1, 285a Crown Street
SURRY HILLS NSW 2010		 99 114 027 986 Lachlan McKimmie 9/02/2026
Royal Automobile Association of South Australia Limited 101 Richmond Road
MILE END SOUTH SA 5031		 90 020 001 807 David Colmer 22/01/2026
Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) SA Branch 69 Fullarton Road
KENT TOWN SA 5067		   Joshua Peak 18/04/2022
South Australian Council of Social Service 47 King William Road
UNLEY SA 5061		   Erin Kingisepp 18/04/2022
SA Independent Retailers Inc. Level 1, 191 Flinders Street
ADELAIDE SA 5000		   Stephen Xenikoudis 18/04/2022
Turning Point Australia Suite 3001/376 Bay Street
BRIGHTON LE-SANDS NSW 2216		 56 664 782 003 Joel Jammal 15/01/2026
United Fire Fighters Union 148 South Road
TORRENSVILLE SA 5031		   Gail Gorman 18/04/2022
United Trades and Labour Council of South Australia (SA Unions) 254 Waymouth Street
ADELAIDE SA 5000		 49 207 741 085 Dale Beasley 18/04/2022

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