Funding for independent candidates

Victoria's Electoral Act 2002 provides public funding for eligible independent candidates.

What is public funding?

Public funding is public money we provide to eligible independent candidates and political parties. An independent candidate is one who is not a member of any registered political party.

The amount you can receive is based on the number of first preference votes you receive.

We publish the details of funding amounts paid to individual recipients since 2018. This information is updated on a quarterly basis in the Funding register.

Eligibility

You are eligible if you received at least 4% of first preference votes or were elected in a state election.

You must submit a statement of expenditure from the previous election to receive this funding.

A statement of expenditure is a report that shows the costs you incurred during your election campaign. This statement must be accompanied by an audit certificate from an independent auditor. 

The audit certificate must state that the auditor:

  • was given full and free access at all reasonable times to all accounts, records, documents and papers relating directly or indirectly to any matter required to be specified in the statement
  • examined the material referred to above for the purpose of giving the certificate
  • received all information and explanations that the auditor requested in respect of any matter required to be specified in the statement
  • has no reason to believe that any matter stated in the statement is not correct.

The independent auditor must use our audit certificate template (PDF). This is the only format of audit certificate we will accept.

You or your agent must submit your audited statement of expenditure by email (to disclosures@vec.vic.gov.au) or by post (to Level 11, 530 Collins Street Melbourne VIC 3000) within 20 weeks of the immediately preceding election day. You will not receive this funding if you do not provide your audited statement of expenditure.

The penalty for giving false or misleading information is up to 300 penalty units or two years' prison time.

Funding amounts

The amount you can receive is based on:

  • your audited statement of expenditure for the previous election
  • the number of votes you received
  • the maximum legislated amounts.

How and when will I receive payments?

We pay within 30 days of receiving your audited statement of expenditure from the previous election.

Your public funding must be paid into your state campaign account.

 

Advance public funding

 

If you receive public funding for a state general election, then you are eligible to receive the same amount of funding in advance of the following state general election. You must apply for advanced public funding within 20 weeks of an election.

Advance public funding is paid in four instalments:

  • 40% within 30 days of receiving your audited statement of expenditure
  • subsequent 20% payment instalments issued in April in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years of the election period.

Advanced funding is indexed annually based on the consumer price index (CPI). For current amounts, see indexation.

After the election for which public funding was paid in advance, we will calculate your actual entitlement to public funding for that election, based on:

  • whether or not you were elected or received at least 4% of first preference votes
  • the number of first preference votes received 
  • whether you stood for the Legislative Assembly (lower house) or Legislative Council (upper house)
  • the amount of expenditure declared in your statement of expenditure for that election.

If you do not contest the election for which public funding was paid in advance, you will be required to repay the full amount of public funding received. 

If you contest the election but are not elected or do not receive at least 4% of first preferene votes, you will also be required to repay the full amount of public funding received.

If you have received more in advance public funding than you were entitled to, we will recoup the difference. If you are entitled to more funding than was paid in advance, we will pay the difference.

Accepting banned donations

Accepting a banned political donation means your public funding will be reduced by twice that donation. Banned donations include donations above the general cap, from a foreign donor, or valued at more than $1,210 from an anonymous donor.

For example, an anonymous donation of $1,250 means your funding will be reduced by $2,500.

Funding uses

Public funding must be paid into your state campaign account.

Public funding is paid to reimburse costs related to running your state election campaign. This is called political or electoral expenditure.

This can include:

  • office rental
  • staffing costs (including time spent setting-up for promotions)
  • equipment (e.g. IT systems, vehicles, office stationery, etc.)
  • interest charges on loans for your campaign
  • utilities
  • travel related to your campaign
  • advertising (including production, distribution, publishing, etc.).

Public funding must not be used for general administration. You cannot use the 2nd, 3rd or 4th advance funding payments as security or collateral for a loan.