What are the expenditure caps for state elections?

The following caps apply at the 2027 NSW State election and any state by-election held in the four-year period up to and including the 2027 NSW State election. The amounts will be adjusted following the 2027 NSW State election.

Category

Cap

Party with more than 10 endorsed Legislative Assembly candidates at a general election

$150,700 multiplied by the number of electoral districts in which a candidate is endorsed by the party

Party that endorses candidates in a group for the Legislative Council but does not endorse any candidates for election to the Legislative Assembly or does not endorse candidates in more than 10 electoral districts

$1,579,400

Independent Legislative Council group at a general election

$1,579,400

Endorsed Legislative Assembly candidate at a general election

$150,700

Independent Legislative Assembly candidate at a general election

$225,800

Ungrouped Legislative Council candidate at a general election

$225,800

Candidate at a Legislative Assembly by-election

$301,200

Third-party campaigner at a general election

$1,464,200 if the third-party campaigner was registered before the commencement of the capped state expenditure period for the election

$732,200 in all other cases

Electoral district cap for a party

$75,500 within the party’s overall expenditure cap

Electoral district cap for a third-party campaigner

$30,400 within the third-party campaigner’s overall expenditure cap

Maximum amount for expenditure incurred for campaign office accommodation that is not included in the electoral expenditure cap $22,800 

The electoral district caps for parties and third-party campaigners apply at state general elections and where by-elections are held in more than one electoral district on the same day. The electoral district caps are an additional cap within the overall cap, and apply to electoral expenditure incurred by a party or third-party campaigner substantially for the purposes of the election in a particular electoral district.

That is, advertising or other material that:

  • mentions the name of a candidate in the election in that electoral district or the name of the electoral district and

  • is communicated to electors in that electoral district and

  • is not mainly communicated to electors outside that electoral district.

Aggregation rules that apply to electoral expenditure incurred for state election campaigns.

Last updated 13 July 2023 at 7:33 PM