Advance funding - House of Assembly

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.

House of Assembly elections

Under section 130PA of the Electoral Act 1985, 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 two 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) – 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

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.

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 advance funding early payment page for more information

Deductions and repayments

Section 130PE of the Electoral Act 1985 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.

By-elections

Under Section 130PB of the Electoral Act 1985, the Electoral Commissioner may provide advance public funding for elections in House of Assembly districts outside of general elections.

The agent must lodge a section 130PF certificate to receive payment. Payments are made to the state campaign account, not to individuals. If deadlines are missed, funding may be forfeited. Payments are made as soon as reasonably practicable after the agent lodges the certificate.

Basic formula

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

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

 *The designated amount is the lessor of:

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