Parties and Candidates
- Details
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
- RO 40A - Multiple nominations endorsed party (PDF, 218KB)
- RO 40B - Endorsed party candidate (PDF, 180KB)
- RO 42 - Multiple party candidates voting tickets lodgement (PDF, 1.7MB)
- RO 43 - Single party endorsed candidate (PDF, 196KB)
- RO 44 - Independent candidate (PDF, 184KB)
- RO 44A - List of nominators (PDF, 292KB)
- RO 45 - Independent candidate voting ticket lodgement (PDF, 160KB)
- RO 59 - Appointment of Scrutineer (PDF, 1.8MB)
- RO 106 - Nomination Deposit Information (PDF, 212KB)
Guides
Legislative Council
Forms
- RO 50 - Endorsed party candidate nomination (PDF, 179KB)
- RO 50A - Endorsement of nominations by a party (PDF, 147KB)
- RO 50B - Application for a group on the ballot paper - single party group (PDF, 146KB)
- RO 50C - Application for a group on the ballot paper - two party group (PDF, 150KB)
- RO 54 - Independent grouped candidate nomination (PDF, 179KB)
- RO 54A - Application for a group on the ballot paper - independent group (PDF, 140KB)
- RO 55 - Independent ungrouped candidate nomination (PDF, 180KB)
- RO 56 - List of nominators (PDF, 186KB)
- RO 59 - Appointment of Scrutineer (PDF, 1.8MB)
- RO 106 - Nomination Deposit Information (PDF, 212KB)
Guides
Forms and Guides - Compliance
Used for registration, funding, disclosure, and ongoing obligations under the Act.
Forms
- Associated Entity Details (PDF, 2MB)
- State Campaign Account Notification (PDF, 1.9MB)
- Third Party Registration (PDF, 2MB)
Guides
- Administrative Funding Guide (PDF, 241KB)
- Advance Funding Guide (PDF, 293KB)
- Compliance Key Dates ALL - 2026 State Election (PDF, 160KB)
- Disclosure Reporting Periods 2025-26 - Associated Entities (PDF, 370KB)
- Disclosure Reporting Periods 2025-26 - Political Parties (PDF, 390KB)
- Disclosure Reporting Periods 2025-26 - Third Parties (PDF, 375KB)
- Policy Development Funding Guide (PDF, 186KB)
- Prescribed Details Guide (PDF, 273KB)
- Public Funding Guide (PDF, 230KB)
Information Sheets
- Agents (PDF, 426KB)
- Compliance Key Dates ALL - 2026 State Election (PDF, 160KB)
- Disclosure of Political Expenditure (PDF, 450KB)
- Disclosure Reporting Periods 2025-26 - Associated Entities (PDF, 370KB)
- Disclosure Reporting Periods 2025-26 - Political Parties (PDF, 390KB)
- Disclosure Reporting Periods 2025-26 - Third Parties (PDF, 375KB)
- Electoral Advertising (PDF, 437KB)
- Election Signage at Polling Places (PDF, 1.1MB)
- Expenditure Caps for Election Participants (PDF, 425KB)
- State Campaign Accounts (PDF, 511KB)
- Third Parties (PDF, 305KB)
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
- Details
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 | |||||||||||
- Details
This page provides access to key resources for political participants, linking to information on nominations, funding, disclosure obligations and other election requirements.
Candidates
Political parties
Advertising
Electoral reform
Need help?:
- Details
On this page:
- Candidate qualifications
- Key dates for nominating
- Nominating as an independent candidate
- Nominating as a party-endorsed candidate
- Additional nomination rules
- Forms and resources
Nominating for the House of Assembly
A step-by-step guide for prospective candidates in the 2026 State Election.
Overview
This page explains how to nominate as a candidate for the House of Assembly in the 2026 State Election. It outlines key dates, eligibility requirements, forms, and lodgement processes for both independent candidates and candidates endorsed by registered political parties. All requirements are set under the Electoral Act 1985 (the Act).
The Candidate Guide provides detailed instructions, examples, and legislative references to support your nomination.
Candidate qualifications
To qualify as a candidate, you must:
- be enrolled to vote in South Australia.
- not be required to immediately vacate your seat under the Constitution Act 1934 (for example, due to holding certain offices).
- not nominate for more than one election held on the same day.
Key dates
| Event | Date |
| Nominations open | 23 February 2026 |
| Electoral roll closes | 27 February 2026 |
| Party bulk nominations close | 27 February 2026 |
| Independent nominations close | 2 March 2026 |
| Nominations declared | 2 March 2026 |
Ways to nominate
Candidates may nominate in one of 2 ways:
Independent candidate
You lodge your own nomination and must meet all individual requirements, including providing nominators.
Party-endorsed candidate
Your party’s registered officer lodges the nomination on your behalf.
Independent candidates
1. Eligibility
To nominate as an independent candidate, you must be supported by:
- At least 20 eligible electors enrolled in the district you are contesting.
2. Nomination deposit
A $1,000 deposit must accompany your nomination. Accepted payment methods:
- Banker’s cheque (personal cheques cannot be accepted).
- Electronic funds transfer (EFT) to the Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA)
- A printed receipt showing successful lodgement must be provided for EFT payments.
The deposit must be received before nominations close.
3. What you need to lodge
Submit the following documents to the returning officer before nominations close:
- RO 44 – Completed nomination form.
- RO 44A – List of at least 20 nominators, including signatures and enrolment details.
- $1,000 deposit (banker’s cheque or EFT receipt).
4. Lodgement
Lodge your completed documents and deposit with the returning officer for the district you are contesting.
Party-endorsed candidates
1. Nomination process
- Complete the party-endorsed nomination form (RO 40A or RO 40B, depending on your party's process).
- Return it to your party’s registered officer.
- The registered officer lodges all endorsed nominations directly with ECSA.
2. Requirements for registered officers
Registered officers must:
- Lodge all nomination forms (RO 40A / RO 40B).
- Submit a $1,000 deposit per candidate (banker’s cheque or EFT).
- Lodge multiple nominations on a single nomination paper if submitted at least 48 hours before the hour of nomination.
Additional nomination rules
Withdrawing your nomination
Candidates may withdraw their nomination by lodging written notice with the returning officer before the hour of nomination.
- If withdrawn, the nomination is revoked.
- The deposit is refunded.
Deposit refunds
Your $1,000 deposit will be refunded if:
- You are elected, or
- You receive more than 4% of first‑preference votes in your district.
Otherwise, the deposit is forfeited. If a candidate dies before polling day, the deposit is returned to their personal representative.
Declaration of nominations
At the hour of nomination, the returning officer will:
- Publicly produce all nomination papers received.
- Declare the names and addresses of all duly nominated candidates
- If a candidate’s address is suppressed, only their district of residence is declared.
Candidate name rules
These rules ensure names on ballot papers are clear and not misleading for voters.
A nomination may be rejected if the candidate’s name is:
- Obscene
- Frivolous
- Assumed for an ulterior purpose.
If practicable, the candidate will be notified and may lodge a fresh nomination before the hour of nomination.
If a candidate dies
If a candidate dies after nominations are declared and before polling day, the election for that district is taken to have failed and will be re‑run.
Forms and resources
All required nomination forms and supporting guides are available below.