Funding glossary

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The following definitions apply to Part 12 of the Electoral Act 2002 (the Act), Victoria's funding and disclosure legislation.

Term	Definition
Administrative expenditure funding	Public money we give to eligible registered political parties and independent elected members for administrative expenses. This funding helps pay for administrative expenses. These include the costs of meeting funding and disclosure obligations.
Administrative expenditure return	A return submitted by recipients of administrative expenditure funding at the end of a calendar year detailing administrative expenditure for that year. We use it to check the recipient used funding for eligible administrative expenditure.
Agent	The person who manages and is legally responsible for a recipient's funding and disclosure obligations under Part 12 of the Act.
Annual return	A summary of money received and costs incurred in a financial year. Annual return requirements are different for: registered political parties independent candidates and elected members groups of independent candidates associated entities third-party campaigners. An annual return is different to an administrative expenditure return
Associated entity	An organisation or other entity that has a close connection to a registered political party. An associated entity: is controlled by one or more registered political parties operates wholly, or to a significant extent, for the benefit of one or more registered political parties is a financial member of a registered political party has a person who is a financial member of a registered political party acting on its behalf has voting rights in a registered political party.
Audit certificate	A certificate that confirms a return or statement has been audited in line with Australian Auditing Standards as specified in section 336(1) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth). Audit certificates may be required for: Annual returns Administrative expenditure funding Policy development funding Public funding.
Australian resident	A person who resides in Australia is an: Australian citizen holder of a permanent visa or a protected special category visa holder. See section 7 of the Social Security Act 1991 of the Commonwealth.
Candidate	A person who: is endorsed by a political party to run in an election or has publicly announced they will run as an independent in an election.
Consumer price index	A measure of how the prices of goods and services change over time. CPI reflects the average change in the prices households pay for everyday items.
Deputy registered officer	A person nominated by the registered officer of a registered political party as a deputy registered officer. Nominations for deputy registered officers must be made to the VEC. See section 44 of the Act.
Disclosure threshold	The minimum donation amount, or total combined donations, that must be reported.
Donor	A person or organisation that gives a political donation to a person, party or other entity that can receive it.
Elected member	A person who has been elected as a member of the Legislative Council or the Legislative Assembly of the Victorian Parliament.
Election period	The 4 year period between 2 state elections. For the 2026 state election, the election period is from 15 April 2026 to 28 November 2026.
Election campaigning period	The period before an election, set by law, when special rules in relation to political expenditure apply. General state elections The election campaigning period starts on 1 October in the year of the election and ends at 6 pm on election day. Other elections The election campaigning period for other elections and by-elections, starts on the day the writ is issued for that election and ends at 6 pm on election day.
Electoral expenditure	Money spent during an election period on: broadcasting an advertisement relating to the election publishing an advertisement relating to the election in a journal displaying an advertisement relating to the election at a theatre or other place of entertainment producing a broadcast, published or displayed advertisement relating to the election producing any material in relation to the election that is required to include the name and address of the author of the material or of the person authorising the material (in accordance with section 83 of the Act) producing and distributing electoral matter addressed to particular persons or organisations fees or salaries paid to consultants or advertising agents for services or material relating to the election carrying out an opinion poll, or other research, relating to the election. It does not include spending that gives the person making the claim: a tax credit a rebate a refund a reimbursement, or any other reduction in the amount of tax a person or organisation must pay
Electoral material	Content created, distributed or displayed to influence how people vote in an election. It can take any form, including: a leaflet, flyer, pamphlet or notice a billboard, poster or sign a print, digital or online advertisement a social media post or profile a website some electronic communications, such as email or SMS.
Electoral matter	Content that is intended, or likely, to influence how people vote in an election. This can include words, images, audio or video used in electoral material. It promotes or opposes a: candidate in an election current or past member of parliament current or previous state territory or Commonwealth government political party or an issue before electors in connection with an election.
Endorsed candidate	A person chosen by a political party to represent it in an election.
Endorsed elected member	A member of the Legislative Council or the Legislative Assembly, who is also a member of a registered political party.
Financial controller	For an associated entity or third-party campaigner, the financial controller can be: the secretary of the corporation (if it is a corporation) the trustee (if it is a trustee of a trust and the trustee is a natural person) or the person responsible for keeping the financial records of the associated entity or third-party campaigner. If the person is not a company and is not acting as a trustee of a trust.
Foreign donor	A person who makes a political donation and is not: an Australian citizen an Australian resident or, an organisation with a registered business number such as an Australian Business Number (ABN). Foreign donations are banned in Victoria.
General cap	The most amount of money a donor can give to a single recipient during the 4 years between State general elections. This includes where the donor makes multiple donations to the same recipient. Political donations made to candidates, elected members and groups endorsed by a registered political party also count towards that party’s donation cap. Registered new entrants can access twice the general cap.
General state election	An election where voters choose representatives for the Victorian Parliament. This includes elections for: the Legislative Assembly the Legislative Council.
Gift	Money, property, goods or services that a person or organisation gives without receiving something of equal value in return. A gift can include: providing a service paying an amount under a guarantee making a payment or contribution at a fundraising event giving property from a registered political party, a branch of a registered political party or an associated entity.
Group of Legislative Council (Upper House) candidates	Two or more candidates whose names are grouped on the upper house ballot paper.
Independent auditor	A qualified person who checks an organisation's financial records. An independent auditor must be separate from the organisation they audit. They must not have any relationship or interest that could affect their judgement. Learn about auditor independence and audit quality.
Independent candidate	Someone who: has said publicly that they plan to run in an election is not endorsed by a registered political party.
Independent elected member	A member of the parliament of Victoria in the Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council who is not a member of a registered political party.
Indexation	A yearly increase to an amount based on changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This is so money keeps its value as prices rise over time. The CPI is used to adjust funding amounts in the Electoral Act each year.
Loan	Money or financial support that is provided with the expectation that it will be repaid. This includes: giving someone money in advance providing credit or other financial assistance paying money on someone else's behalf at their request, where they are expected to repay it any other arrangement that is effectively a loan of money. This does not include a commercial loan from a financial institution. Sometimes a loan may need to be reported as a political donation. This depends on whether it meets the legal definition of a gift.
New entrant	An eligible political party or independent candidate registered by the VEC. New entrants can accept donations up to twice the general cap.
Nominated entity	Before 15 April 2026, a nominated entity was an incorporated organisation that: was controlled by a registered political party operated only for the benefit of that registered political party was listed on the Register of Nominated Entities. A registered political party can only have one nominated entity. Gifts between a registered political party and its nominated entity were not treated as political donations. From 15 April 2026, nominated entities were removed from the political finance regulatory scheme. If a nominated entity continues to operate, it is now treated as an associated entity.
Penalty unit	An amount of money a person is fined if an offence is committed. The penalty unit amount is indexed annually. Learn more about the indexation of fees and penalties.
Policy development funding	Funding provided to eligible registered political parties to help develop policies.
Policy development funding statement	A statement that shows whether a registered political party spent: less than its policy development funding entitlement, or more than its policy development funding entitlement, during the calendar year in which it received policy development funding.
Political donation	Any 'gift' made to: political parties registered in Victoria candidates at a Victorian state election groups of candidates in Legislative Council election regions an elected member of the Victorian Parliament an associated entity operating in Victoria a third-party campaigner operating in Victoria.
Political expenditure	Money spent to influence how people vote in an election. This includes spending that promotes or opposes: a candidate in a state election an elected member of the Victorian Parliament a registered political party. For associated entities and third-party campaigners, political expenditure can happen: during the election campaigning period outside an election campaign period, if the information refers to a candidate or registered political party and encourages people to vote in a particular way.
Public funding	Public money we give to eligible registered political parties and independent candidates. This funding is based on the number of first preference votes a candidate receives in an election.
Recipient (individual or organisational)	A person or organisation that can receive a political donation. A recipient can be: a political party that is registered in Victoria a candidate at a Victorian state election a group of Legislative Council (upper house) candidates at a Victorian state election an elected member of the Victorian Parliament an associated entity operating in Victoria a third-party campaigner operating in Victoria.
Registered company auditor	A person registered as a company auditor under the Corporations Act 2001. For organisations that are not companies, a registered company auditor also includes a person who is legally qualified to audit that organisation.
Registered Officer	A person a registered political party has nominated to act on its behalf. They are responsible for making sure the party follows electoral and political donation laws. The registered officer's name is listed on the Register of Political Parties.
Registered political party	A political party registered in accordance with Part 4 of the Electoral Act.
Related body corporate	A company that is connected to another company through ownership or control. Two companies are related bodies corporate if: one is the holding company of the other one s a subsidiary of the other they have the same holding company. Related body corporate has the same meaning as section 50 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).
Scheduled general election period	The period from 1 July in an election year to election day, including both dates.
Small contribution	A political donation that is equal to or less than the value of $100.
State campaign account	A separate bank account that a recipient must keep for state election funding and political donations.
Statement of expenditure	A report that shows how much an independent candidate or political party spent for campaigning during the election. The statement is used to work out how much public funding they can receive.
Third-party campaigner	A person or organisation that spends money or receives donations more than the general cap in a financial year to support or oppose: a candidate a Member of Parliament a political party. They are not a political party or candidate.