Third-party campaigners

A third-party campaigner is an individual or entity that incurs more than $2,000 in electoral expenditure* for a state or local government election in New South Wales during the capped expenditure period for an election, but does not stand as a candidate, and is not a political party, associated entity or an elected member.

The following attributes distinguish third-party campaigners from political parties: 

  • a third-party campaigner requires a less-defined structure than that needed by a party 

  • a third-party campaigner will have one main issue or community segment of concern

  • there is no requirement for identifiable members as there is for a political party

  • there is no requirement for public acceptance by any candidate of endorsement by the organisation as their representative (if elected) in Parliament or on a council.

If a third-party campaigner also makes political donations, the third-party campaigner is also a political donor and must disclose certain political donations to the NSW Electoral Commission.

* Electoral expenditure is only expenditure that has the dominant purpose of promoting or opposing a party or candidate/s or influencing the vote at an election. The Electoral Commission has published a guideline on the dominant purpose: Guideline 20: Ascertaining the dominant purpose of expenditure by a third-party campaigner.

Register as a third-party campaigner

A third-party campaigner must be registered and have an official agent who is responsible for managing and disclosing the campaigner’s political donations and electoral expenditure.

Last updated 14 August 2023 at 2:23 PM