Public funding
Election funding
Election funding is available in an election to registered political parties and non-party candidates if they meet the required criteria.
- A registered political party is eligible to receive election funding for the votes obtained by its endorsed candidates who together polled at least 4% of the total number of formal first preference votes cast in an electorate. For the purpose of determining the funding entitlement, a vote for a party candidate is taken to be cast for the party and not the candidate. The payment is made to the registered officer of the party.
- A non-party candidate is eligible to receive election funding if he or she polls at least 4% of the total number of formal first preference votes cast in the relevant electorate. The payment is made to the candidate.
For the 19 October 2024 election, the election funding is set at 1015.896 cents per eligible vote.
The election funding rate for each election is worked out according to the formula set out in section 207 of the Electoral Act 1992 . The rate is calculated twice each year by multiplying the previous rate by the all groups consumer price index number (being the weighted average of the 8 capital cities) for the September and March quarters, and applies for a period of six months ending 30 June and 31 December, respectively.
- The amount that applies for the 1 January 2025 to 30 June 2025 period is 1,028.465 cents per eligible vote.
- The amount that applies for the 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2024 period is 1015.896 cents per eligible vote.
No party or candidate is obliged to accept public funding.
Election funding is a direct payment scheme. There is no requirement for any eligible political party or non-party candidate to lodge a claim for their election funding entitlement. The ACT Electoral Commission will automatically pay those eligible their entitlement once the voting figures are finalised.
Details of amounts paid to candidates and parties are available from the ACT Electoral Commission’s Annual reports.
Further information can be obtained by contacting Elections ACT on 02 6205 0033.
Administrative funding
Administrative funding is available to parties with representation in the Legislative Assembly and to non-party MLAs.
Administrative funding is paid at an indexed quarterly payment amount for each MLA sitting in parliament. The amount is based on the initial 2012 figure of $20,000 annually ($5,000 per quarter) per MLA, plus CPI increases each year beyond 2012. For example, if a party had 3 MLAs for the whole 2012 calendar year, the party was entitled to $60,000.
If an MLA is not an MLA for the whole of the year, then the amount payable is calculated according to the number of days in the year that the MLA was a MLA.
The payment is made in quarterly instalments to the relevant party Registered Officer or non-party MLA.
The indexed quarterly payment amount is published on the ACT Legislation Register before the start of each calendar year.
- The quarterly administrative funding for 2025 was published on the ACT Legislation register on 28 November 2024. The quarterly amount for 2025 is $6,968.93 per MLA.
- The quarterly administrative funding for 2024 was published on the ACT Legislation register on 6 November 2023. The quarterly amount for 2024 was $6,778.55 per MLA.
Administrative funding can not be used to incur expenditure for an ACT, federal, state or local election.
Further information can be obtained by contacting Elections ACT on 02 6205 0033.