An election campaign return is a financial disclosure made by electoral participants after a House of Assembly election campaign period. It includes both the disclosure of electoral expenditure incurred, and all political donations made or received during the election campaign period.
An election campaign period for a House of Assembly general election begins on the earlier of either the day on which the dissolution of the House occurs or the day 6 months before the last day by which the election must be held, and ends 30 days after the polling day for the election. An election campaign period for a House of Assembly by-election begins on the day the by-election writ is issued and ends 30 days after the polling day for the by-election.
Election campaign returns made for the 2025 House of Assembly election only need to include disclosures from 1 July 2025 to the end of the election campaign period. Electoral participants are not required to disclose political donations made or received, or electoral expenditure incurred, prior to 1 July (when the Electoral Disclosure and Funding Act 2023 takes effect).
All election campaign returns must be lodged with the Tasmanian Electoral Commission within 60 days after the end of the election campaign period. An election campaign return cannot be lodged before the end of the election campaign period, as a return must include a statement from the party agent or official agent that all required disclosures for the entire election campaign period have been made. This statement cannot be made until after the end of the period.
An electoral participant’s party agent or official agent is responsible for the election campaign return obligations of their electoral participant.
An election campaign return must always be made by registered parties, House of Assembly members and candidates, and associated entities after an election campaign period, even if there are no political donations made or received and no electoral expenditure incurred during the House of Assembly election campaign period. Additionally, registered independent House of Assembly candidates must make an election campaign return even if they do not nominate to run in the election (unless they cancel their registration prior to commencement of the election campaign period).
Third-party campaigners are required to lodge an election campaign return if they incur electoral expenditure of $5,000 or more during a House of Assembly election campaign period.
Significant political donors are not required to lodge an election campaign return.
If an electoral participant was required to make an election campaign return, then their party agent or official agent must still lodge a return even if the participant has ceased to be an (or is no longer the same type of) electoral participant.
The Electoral Disclosure and Funding Act 2023 requires the lodgement of the House of Assembly election campaign return form to accompany the disclosure of political donations and electoral expenditure required in a return. The Tasmanian Electoral Commission provides a return template to help agents identify what specific disclosure information must be included when making a return.
The Electoral Disclosure and Funding Act 2023, the Electoral Disclosure and Funding Regulations 2025 and the Disclosure of electoral expenditure guideline set out what must be included in and with an election campaign return. A return is made up of at least three sections for all electoral participants, disclosing the following in relation to the election campaign period:
Additional disclosures are required by some electoral participants:
If a House of Assembly member is a registered candidate for a future election, their party agent or official agent is only required to make one election campaign return for the member/candidate.
If a party agent is required to make an election campaign return for both a registered party and any endorsed House of Assembly members or candidates, their party agent may lodge one election campaign return as long as they separately identify the disclosures for each electoral participant.
The Electoral Disclosure and Funding Act 2023 allows for a party agent or official agent to amend an election campaign return, in case a disclosure error needs to be corrected. To alter, omit, add or substitute any information declared in a return, lodge a House of Assembly election campaign return amendment form with the Tasmanian Electoral Commission as soon as possible after an error has been identified.
The Electoral Disclosure and Funding Act 2023 also allows the Tasmanian Electoral Commission to consider and grant an extension of the due date for a House of Assembly election campaign return. If an extension is required, a party agent or official agent should contact the Commission as soon as possible before the due date to discuss their circumstances.
All election campaign returns are published to the Tasmanian Electoral Commission’s website.
Learn more about election campaign returns for House of Assembly elections by watching this pre-recorded webinar.