Parties and Candidates
Local Government Council Elections – Update
The next periodic local government council elections will now be held in April 2027 (previously scheduled for November 2026).
Electoral material
Restrictions apply to the publication and display of electoral material during South Australian local government elections. These requirements are set out in Part 7 of the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 and section 226 of the Local Government Act 1999.
The Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) cannot provide legal advice. If you are unsure about your obligations, you should seek independent legal advice.
What is electoral material?
Electoral material includes any advertisement, notice, statement or representation intended to influence voting in a local government election. It covers material published:
- in print
- online or on social media
- in newspapers
- on radio or television
- or by any other means
This applies to any person who authors, publishes or distributes electoral material intended to influence voting.
Publishing electoral material
Authorisation requirements
Electoral material must clearly show who authorised it.
Mandatory authorisation details
All electoral material must include:
- the name and address of the person who authorised the material
- for printed material, the name and physical address of the printer or producer. If they do not have a physical address, include their email address or website instead.
Online material
Online electoral material must include an authorisation unless the authoriser’s details are immediately accessible (for example, in the 'About' section of a social media page).
Comments and replies do not need separate authorisation if the page already displays a compliant authorisation.
Newspapers
Printer details are not required if the newspaper has been published at least monthly for the past 6 months.
Letters to the editor
Letters to the editor containing electoral material must include the writer’s name and physical address (not a post box).
Maximum penalty: $2,500
Responsibility for online platforms
Where electoral material is published online by someone other than the site owner or platform controller:
- the platform owner is not taken to have published the material unless they authorised the publication, directly or indirectly.
Misleading electoral material
Electoral material must not contain statements presented as facts that are inaccurate and misleading to a material extent.
This rule does not apply to opinions, slogans or value judgments.
A person who authorised, caused or permitted misleading factual material may commit an offence.
Maximum penalty: $5,000
Commissioner powers
If the Electoral Commissioner determines material is misleading, they may request the publisher to:
- withdraw the material, and/or
- publish a retraction.
The Supreme Court may also order withdrawal or retraction.
Website or page owners are not responsible for misleading content posted by others unless they authorised it.
Moveable signs and electoral posters
Definitions
- Local electoral poster — a poster, notice or sign displaying electoral material relating to a local government election.
- Moveable sign — a sign not permanently fixed to land or a structure, including:
- A‑frame signs
- temporary advertising boards
- election signs (including corflutes)
- portable banners or posters
Moveable signs
A moveable sign may be placed on a public road only if it complies with council by‑laws and does not unreasonably restrict the use of the road or endanger public safety.
Council officers may direct the removal of a moveable sign that:
- does not comply with council by‑laws, or
- obstructs the road or creates a safety risk.
If the owner cannot be located, or does not remove the sign when directed, the officer may remove and dispose of it.
Local electoral posters
Local electoral posters must not be displayed on public roads or road‑related areas, including structures, fixtures or vegetation.
Maximum penalty: $5,000
Exceptions
A local electoral poster may be displayed only if it is:
- hand‑held by a person, or
- displayed at or near a designated event, not attached to any structure, and for no more than 6 hours, or
- permitted by regulation
Councils cannot approve electoral posters outside these statutory exceptions.
Council officers may remove local electoral posters displayed on roads or road‑related areas in breach of the legislation.
Publication of candidate profiles
Candidate profiles must be published online within 14 days after nominations close.
Candidate profiles and photographs are published on the ECSA website and are provided to electors with ballot papers.
Part 13A of the Electoral Act 1985 allows compliance audits to be undertaken for the purpose of finding out whether participants have complied with the Part.
Following the amendments introduced by the Electoral (Accountability and Integrity) Amendment Act 2024, what was previously referred to as 'special assistance funding' is now termed 'administrative funding.' This form of public funding is provided under Division 5 of the Electoral Act 1985.
👉 Learn more about administrative funding for registered political parties and independent members of parliament.
Historical overview of special assistance funding
Prior to the amendments introduced by the Electoral (Accountability and Integrity) Amendment Act 2024, public funding provided under Division 5 of the Electoral Act 1985 was known as special assistance funding.
Under this scheme, claims were subject to the following maximum indexed amounts:
- Up to 5 members of parliament: $35,000
- 6 or more members of parliament: $60,000
Between 2015 and 2024, the Electoral Commissioner paid special assistance funding to eligible parties in accordance with these limits. The table below outlines the amounts paid to various parties during that period.
Note: As of 2024, this funding is now referred to as administrative funding, reflecting changes made under the Amendment Act.
| Australian Labor Party | Liberal Party | The Greens | SA Best | Advance SA* | Dignity Party** | Family First^ | Australian Conservatives^^ | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | |
| Date | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ |
| 1/07/24 - 31/12/24 | 78,840.00 | 78,840.00 | 45,990.00 | 35,356.67 | - | - | - | - | 15,176.61 |
| 1/01/24 - 30/06/24 | 75,586.00 | 75,586.00 | 44,092.00 | 37,773.10 | - | - | - | - | 17,748.43 |
| 1/07/23 - 31/12/23 | 75,586.00 | 75,586.00 | 44,092.00 | 36,780.61 | - | - | - | - | 15,387.59 |
| 1/01/23 - 30/06/23 | 70,048.00 | 70,048.00 | 40,862.00 | 36,601.34 | - | - | - | - | 20,045.00 |
| 1/07/22 - 31/12/22 | 70,048.00 | 70,048.00 | 40,862.00 | 35,993.43 | - | - | - | - | 11,122.39 |
| 1/01/22 - 30/06/22 | 66,908.00 | 66,908.00 | 39,030.00 | 27,901.55 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1/07/21 - 31/12/21 | 66,908.00 | 66,908.00 | 39,030.00 | 39,030.00 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1/01/21 - 30/06/21 | 66,109.00 | 66,109.00 | 38,564.00 | 38,564.00 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1/07/20 - 31/12/20 | 66,109.00 | 66,109.00 | 38,564.00 | 29,071.53 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1/01/20 - 30/06/20 | 64,568.00 | 64,568.00 | 37,665.00 | 37,665.00 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1/07/19 - 31/12/19 | 64,568.00 | 64,568.00 | 37,665.00 | 37,665.00 | 952.04 | - | -; | - | - |
| 1/01/19 - 30/06/19 | 63,711.00 | 63,711.00 | 37,165.00 | 37,165.00 | 219.24 | - | - | - | - |
| 1/07/18 - 31/12/18 | 63,711.00 | 63,711.00 | 37,165.00 | 37,165.00 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1/01/18 - 30/06/18 | 62,283.00 | 62,283.00 | 36.333.00 | - | - | - | - | 36,333.00 | - |
| 1/07/17 - 31/12/17 | 62,283.00 | 62,283.00 | 36,333.00 | - | - | 36,333.00 | - | - | - |
| 1/01/17 - 30/06/17 | 60,000.00 | 60,000.00 | 35,000.00 | - | - | 29,672.00 | - | - | - |
| 1/07/16 - 31/12/16 | 12,217.00 | 12,217.00 | 7,127.00 | - | - | 7,127.00 | 6,218.39 | - | - |
| 1/01/16 - 30/06/16 | 12,217.00 | 12,217.00 | 7,127.00 | - | - | 7,127.00 | 4,403.19 | - | - |
| 1/07/15 - 31/12/15 | 12,137.00 | 12,137.00 | 7,080.00 | - | - | 7,080.00 | 825.00 | - | - |
| Total | 1,113,837.00 | 1,113,837.00 | 613,413.00 | 466,732.23 | 1,171.28 | 87,339.00 | 11,446.58 | 36,333.00 | 79,480.02 |
| Special assistance paid to date: $3,523,589.11 | |||||||||
| * | deregistered 25 August 2022 |
| ** | deregistered 28 November 2019 |
| ^ | deregistered 27 June 2017 (n.b. a new party called Family First Party Inc. was registered on 13 January 2022) |
| ^^ | deregistered 27 June 2019 |
One-off special assistance funding (Historical - 2017)
Section 130UA of the Electoral Act 1985 was introduced on 9 June 2017 and expired on 31 August 2017. It allowed eligible registered political parties to claim a one-off payment of special assistance funding to cover prescribed administrative expenditure incurred in complying with Part 13A of the Act.
To receive this funding, parties were required to submit a written claim to the Electoral Commissioner by 31 July 2017. The maximum claimable amounts were:
- Parties with 5 or fewer members of Parliament: $56,000
- Parties with 6 or more members of Parliament: $96,000
These payments were made in addition to any half-yearly special assistance funding provided under Division 5 of the Act.
| Party | Claim |
| Australian Labor Party | $96,000.00 |
| Liberal Party | $96,000.00 |
| The Greens | $10,013.79 |
| Dignity Party | $43,861.44 |
| Total | $245,875.23 |