Unregistered political parties

An unregistered political party is a party that has not registered with the NSW Electoral Commissioner and is not included on the Register of Parties or the Local Government Register of Political Parties. 

Unregistered parties do not have access to the entitlements of registered parties. Importantly, the name of an unregistered party will not be printed on a ballot paper for State or local government elections in New South Wales, and an unregistered party is not entitled to public funding for State elections. 

Unregistered parties can still promote candidates for State or local government elections by producing electoral material or other advertising and can raise funds for an election. There are strict rules for electoral material  and election campaign finances that unregistered parties must comply with. 

Obligations of unregistered parties

The obligations of unregistered parties include (but are not limited to) the following:

• appointing a person who is a senior office holder of the party as the party agent for the party. The party agent is responsible for the disclosure of the party’s political donations and electoral expenditure

• keep a State campaign account for payments for electoral expenditure for State election campaigns and/or a local government campaign account for payments for electoral expenditure for local government elections (as applicable) and

• keep complete and accurate accounting records in New South Wales of the party’s political donations and electoral expenditure.