State campaign account

We have updated this page after changes to the Electoral Act 2002. These changes refer to rules about funding and donation disclosure. 

Read this information carefully. Your legal duties have changed under the new laws.

On this page:

What is a state campaign account?

A state campaign account is a separate bank account that a recipient must keep for state election funding and political donations.

You must create a state campaign account to manage money associated with state elections. You can have more than one state campaign account.

The account separates political donations from funds used for:

  • administration
  • policy development
  • operations
  • federal elections, or
  • other activities.

Recipients must have at least one state campaign account. A recipient is any:

More information for recipients

State campaign account requirements

You can have one or more state campaign accounts.

The account must be with an authorised deposit-taking institution listed by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA).

You must make sure funds are:

  • paid in and out of these accounts in line with the funding and disclosure laws in the Act
  • disclosed in the appropriate annual return.

When you register with VEC Disclosures, you must provide these details for each state campaign account:

  • the account name
  • the BSB
  • the account number.

You can update your state campaign details in VEC Disclosures if they change.

State campaign account management

Recipients are responsible for setting up and managing their state campaign accounts. If you appoint an agent to act on your behalf, they are responsible for managing your state campaign account.

This account must be kept by the registered officer of a registered political party or registered agent of a:

  • candidate
  • group
  • elected member
  • associated entity or
  • third party campaigner.

More information about agents

State campaign account uses

All political donations for state elections, including small contributions, must be paid into the state campaign account.

All public funding we give you must be paid into your state campaign account. More information about types of funding.

You must not pay into your state campaign account:

  • Any funds for Commonwealth electoral purposes, including political donations for federal elections. If funds for Commonwealth electoral purposes are paid into the state campaign account, it may be considered a political donation under the Act. You must disclose it.
  • There are penalties if administrative expenditure funding payments are paid or transferred into your state campaign account. The penalty amount is twice the payment made.

Registered political parties

You must not pay into your state campaign account:

  • annual subscription or party membership fees
  • annual party affiliation fees paid by an associated entity
  • annual party levies paid by:
    • elected members
    • staff of the elected member (including electoral officers)
    • employees or elected officials of the party.
  • administrative expenditure funding payments
  • policy development funding payments.

Independent candidates and elected members

If you are an independent candidate, we encourage you to set up a separate account to your personal transaction or savings accounts.

Not having a separate account means unrelated transactions may be treated as political donations or political spending. This may make it harder to show you complied with the Electoral Act.

Associated entities and third-party campaigners

If you pay membership fees or annual levy payments into your state campaign account, we treat them as political donations.

You may need to disclose these donations if they are above the disclosure threshold. The general donation cap also applies.

Associated entities and third-party campaigners must tell their members and employees if they use membership fees or levies as political expenditure. This means the money is treated as a political donation.

More information on political donations.

State campaign account payments

You mut pay political expenditure out of your state campaign account.

You can still make other payments from the state campaign account. However, the primary purpose of the state campaign account is to manage money associated with state elections. It keeps political donations separate from funds used for:

  • administration
  • policy development
  • operations
  • Commonwealth elections, or
  • other activities

Recipients can pay electoral expenditure from the state campaign account or another account.

Summary of requirements

  • Required
    Paid into state campaign account Paid from state campaign account

    All recipients

    • Political donations
    • Public funding payments
    • Political expenditure
  • Permitted
    Paid into state campaign account Paid from state campaign account

    N/A
    • Electoral expenditure
  • Not permitted
    Paid into state campaign account Paid from state campaign account

    All recipients

    • Political donations for Commonwealth purposes. Any donations for Commonwealth purposes accepted into the state campaign account will be taken to be political donations.
    • Administrative expenditure funding payments

    Registered political parties only

    • annual membership fees to registered political parties
    • an annual affiliation fee paid to the registered political party by an associated entity
    • an annual levy paid to the registered political party by:
      • an elected member
      • staff of the elected member (including an electoral officer)
      • an employee or elected official of the registered political party
    • policy development funding payments

    Associated entities and third-party campaigners only

    • Annual subscription fees or an annual levy paid by an employee or elected official. Any annual subscription fees or annual levy paid into the state campaign account will be taken to be political donations.

    N/A