There are only three months left for new political parties to apply for registration for the 2024 ACT Legislative Assembly election, the ACT Electoral Commissioner, Mr Damian Cantwell AM CSC, said today.

“New parties wanting to run candidates in the 2024 election need to submit their application for registration to the ACT Electoral Commissioner by 30 June 2024,” Mr Cantwell said.

“Applications must be accompanied by the constitution of the party and the names of at least 100 members of the party who are on the ACT electoral roll.”

Registered parties have the right to list party candidates in a column under the party’s name on ballot papers and to receive an extract of the ACT electoral roll, Mr Cantwell said.

“However, registering as a political party also comes with transparency and accountability obligations,” Mr Cantwell stated. “Each registered party is responsible for submitting annual financial disclosure returns, gift disclosures and electoral expenditure returns. My office undertakes regular compliance checks of these returns to ensure the public has access to accurate and timely campaign finance information as a key means of electoral transparency.”

“The candidate nomination period for the 2024 ACT election opens on 13 September and will close at 12 noon on 24 September”, Mr Cantwell said. “Both party and non-party candidates must wait until this nomination period to be formally recognised as a candidate in the election.”

“However, there is nothing prohibiting a prospective candidate identifying themselves as such and engaging with electors ahead of the legislated nomination period, to facilitate a well informed electorate before voting opens in October”, Mr Cantwell stated.

There are currently thirteen political parties registered to contest the October 2024 election:

• Animal Justice Party
• Australian Labor Party (ACT Branch)
• Belco Party (ACT)
• Canberra Progressives
• David Pollard Independent
• Democratic Labour Party (DLP)
• Independents for Canberra
• Liberal Democratic Party
• Liberal Party of Australia (A.C.T. Division)
• Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (ACT)
• Sustainable Australia Party – Stop Overdevelopment / Corruption
• The ACT Greens
• The Community Action Party (ACT)

Further information on party registration can be viewed on the Commission’s website at www.elections.act.gov.au/political_parties