Making payments for electoral expenditure

Candidates and groups of candidates must be registered with the NSW Electoral Commission before making payments for electoral expenditure.

Third-party campaigners and associated entities must be registered with the NSW Electoral Commission before making payments for electoral expenditure incurred during the capped expenditure period for an election.

Complete and accurate records (that relate directly or indirectly to electoral expenditure) must be kept of all payments for electoral expenditure including copies of the accounts or receipts for expenditure and copies of advertising and printed election material.

In general, payments for electoral expenditure must be paid from a campaign account. Certain exemptions do apply. For example, in relation to a candidate, group or elected member, minor payments (being payments for items of electoral expenditure of $50 or less) not exceeding a total of $1,000 in the election period. Such payments, however, must be recorded in the petty cash book.