The Australian Electoral Commission announced today, Oct 9, that it has authorised the initial payment of election funding to political parties and candidates for votes received at the 2013 federal election.

The total of the first payment given to 12 political parties and nine independent candidates was $56 367 240.38.

The amounts of payment per recipient were based on the progressive vote count as at close of business on Friday, Sept 27 2013. The AEC gave payments up to 99 per cent of the funding entitlements calculated at that particular date.

The political parties and independent candidates need to acquire at the very least 4 per cent of the formal first preference vote in order to be qualified to election funding given by the commission.

The AEC used an indexed sum per first preference vote - each first preference vote was worth 248.800 cents.

The second and final payments of the remaining election funding will be made after all votes are finalised.

2013 federal election first payment to political parties and candidates (as of the end of counting on 27 September 2013):

AEC announced election funding awarded to different political parties

Meanwhile, AEC had returned writs to Her Excellency, the Honourable Quentin Bryce (AC CVO), Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia, for the majority of states from the 2013 House of Representative elections.

All writs for the senate elections in the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory (except Queensland) as well as writs in all states (except Western Australia) were already returned to the Governor-General.

*Writ - A writ is a document commanding an electoral officer to hold an election, and contains dates for the close of rolls, the close of nominations, the polling day and the return of the writ. The Governor-General issues the writs for House of Representatives elections and the State Governors issue writs for States' Senate elections.