If you’re considering running in a Legislative Council election, it’s important to understand who can nominate, how the process works, and what’s involved after you submit your nomination.
To nominate for a Legislative Council election, you must be enrolled (or eligible to enrol) for a division in Tasmania. You also need to have lived in Tasmania for either five years at any time in your life or for the two years immediately before you nominate.
Some people cannot nominate. You're ineligible if you are currently a member of the House of Assembly, a candidate in another division where the election is still underway, or a member of the Commonwealth Parliament.
Full eligibility requirements are outlined in the Candidate Handbook (see below).
There are two ways you can stand as a candidate in a Legislative Council election:
Every candidate must complete a nomination form, sign a declaration confirming they're eligible to run, pay a $400 deposit, and provide the name they wish to appear on the ballot paper. This name must reflect how you're commonly known.
Nominations open when the writ for the election is issued and close at 12 noon on nomination day.
Forms and detailed instructions are made available at the time of each election. You must lodge your completed nomination and deposit with the returning officer for your division, or with the Electoral Commissioner if you are lodging a party nomination.
We strongly recommend lodging your nomination early in the nomination period. This allows time to correct any issues if needed.
Periodic elections in Huon and Rosevears will be conducted on Saturday 2 May. Visit the election webpage for key dates and download a copy of the 2026 Candidate Handbook for full details.
All Legislative Council candidates now have obligations under the Electoral Disclosure and Funding Act 2023. These obligations replace those that were in the Electoral Act 2004 prior to 1 July 2025, and include:
The disclosure of electoral expenditure is made once for an election – after the election campaign period has ended. The disclosure of political donations is made monthly throughout the year, within 7 days during election campaign periods, and in total after an election campaign period has ended.
Learn more about the electoral disclosure and funding obligations of Legislative Council candidates by watching this pre-recorded webinar.
A candidate or intending candidate must register with the Tasmanian Electoral Commission before they can accept political donations or pay for electoral expenditure in relation to a Legislative Council election. This may occur well before a candidate nominates, if they have started campaigning prior to the nomination period for an election.
Registration and nomination are two different processes for candidates. Nomination is the process by which a person applies to become a candidate for an election under the Electoral Act 2004. Registration is the process by which a candidate or intending candidate meets their obligation to register and begin making campaign financial disclosures under the Electoral Disclosure and Funding Act 2023.
To register as either an endorsed or independent Legislative Council candidate, use the Application to register a candidate form. Candidates are required to register for each election or by-election in which they intend to stand.
If an intending candidate has not incurred electoral expenditure or accepted political donations before nominating as a candidate, the Tasmanian Electoral Commission will register the candidate as part of their nomination.
Candidates must notify the Commission within 30 days of any of their registered details changing – for example, moving to a new address. To update the Register of Candidates, use the Change of registration details form.
All Legislative Council candidates must have an official agent registered, who will be the person responsible for the financial disclosure obligations of the candidate. If a candidate chooses not to register an official agent, they will become their own official agent by default. Legislative Council candidates who are endorsed by a registered political party may choose to register the party’s existing party agent to act as the candidate’s official agent.
To register an official agent, use the Application to register an official agent form. The Tasmanian Electoral Commission encourages candidates to register their agent at the same time that they register as a candidate.
For previous Legislative Council elections, candidates were able to appoint an election agent to incur electoral expenditure on the candidate’s behalf. This role is now referred to as an official agent, and they are responsible for a wider range of their candidate’s campaign financial disclosure obligations.