About ECSA
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MESSAGE FROM THE ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER
The Electoral Commission of South Australia’s (ECSA) 2017 – 2020 Strategic Plan describes the strategic priorities that will enable us to achieve our purpose of providing high quality electoral services for South Australians.
This plan comes at a time of growing interest in technological innovation, community demands for convenient and accessible voting services and increased public scrutiny of the funding and disclosure of political parties.
To ensure we are positioned to respond to these demands, our strategic priorities focus on delivering high quality election services, community and stakeholder engagement and a renewed investment in electoral research. Importantly this plan also focuses on cultivating a high performing organisation through investment in our staff and infrastructure.
Our annual business plans and individual performance and development agreements will support this plan and ensure ECSA is aligned to deliver the strategic priorities over the next four years.
Strategic Plan 2017-20 (PDF 1.79 MB)
Mick Sherry
ELECTORAL COMMISSIONER
VALUES
Independent:
acting with impartiality and transparency
Professional:
demonstrating respect, integrity and accountability at all times
Innovative:
an agile, creative, engaged and responsive organisation
VISION
Provide excellence in electoral administration
PURPOSE
To provide high quality electoral services for South Australians
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 1
Deliver high quality election services
Actions
- Identify and implement improved systems and processes
Outcomes
- Improved elector services
- Efficiencies gained including reduced time frames and costs
Actions
- Successfully deliver electoral events
Outcomes
- Electoral events delivered within designated time frames
- No election challenged and upheld due to administrative error
Actions
- Review election procedures, practices and processes in a timely manner after each electoral event
Outcomes
- Improvements to organisational procedures identified and implemented
- Recommendations for legislative change
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 2
Engage the community and stakeholders to promote awareness, participation and compliance in electoral matters
Actions
- Design and implement a comprehensive engagement strategy
Outcomes
- Community groups and stakeholders identified through a stakeholder engagement plan
- Networks and partnerships developed
Actions
- Implement strategies to promote awareness, participation and compliance
Outcomes
- Improved community and stakeholder awareness
- Electoral engagement targets including enrolment, turnout and formality are met
- Stakeholders met compliance obligations
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 3
Conduct research into a range of electoral matters
Actions
- Design and implement a comprehensive research strategy
Outcomes
- Useful research topics identified through evidenced based processes
Actions
- Enter into partnerships with other organisations
Outcomes
- Build partnerships and encourage research into electoral matters
- Partnerships deliver wider breadth of research and efficiencies through cost sharing
Actions
- Develop and publish research projects that inform and influence change
Outcomes
- Improved understanding and knowledge of electoral matters
- Research results influence changes to legislation and operational procedures
- Research used or referenced by external stakeholders
STRATEGIC PRIORITY 4
Cultivate a high performing values based organisation
Actions
- Align organisation to deliver strategic priorities
Outcomes
- Role descriptions, policies, structure and resource allocation align with strategic priorities
- Staff understand their role and how they contribute to strategic priorities
Actions
- Imbed our values into the organisation
Outcomes
- Recruitment of staff that demonstrate our values
- Values incorporated into decision making, planning and delivery of electoral events
Actions
- Effectively manage performance including recognising and acknowledging staff achievements
Outcomes
- Staff achievements acknowledged through a recognition process
- Performance effectively managed
Actions
- Invest in our staff and infrastructure
Outcomes
- Enhancement of staff skills, knowledge and experience through undertaking training and development opportunities
- Infrastructure adds value to election process
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Mick Sherry
Mick Sherry was appointed as the Electoral Commissioner of South Australia on 20 February 2017.
Prior to his appointment as Commissioner, Mr Sherry held roles at state and federal level including with South Australia Police, Western Australia Royal Commission into Police Corruption, Corruption and Crime Commission of Western Australia and the Victorian Office of Police Integrity.
In 2015 Mr Sherry was appointed as the Australian Electoral Officer for the Northern Territory and Manager of the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) Northern Territory office. During his time with the AEC, he was responsible for the conduct of the 2016 federal election in the Northern Territory and the 2016 redistribution of electoral divisions in the Northern Territory.
Mr Sherry holds a number of tertiary qualifications including a Master of Arts and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
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The Electoral Commission SA is legislatively responsible for:
- conducting and administering elections,
- ensuring electors are enrolled to vote,
- registering political parties, and
- maintaining the electoral roll in conjunction with the Australian Electoral Commission.
The Electoral Commission SA's main functions are to conduct:
- State and Council elections every four years, including House of Assembly by-elections and council supplementary elections,
- to provide community awareness programs on the electoral system, and,
- to conduct elections for statutory authorities such as the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Executive Board, Super SA, Super SA Select, Funds SA, the Architectural Practice Board of South Australia, and the South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board.
In addition the Electoral Commission SA also conducts fee-for-service elections and ballots for other organisations that require the appointment of an independent Returning Officer. These elections are generally conducted by post and include the election of office bearers to committees and boards and also the conduct of enterprise agreement ballots.
The Electoral Commission SA conducts the entire election process in accordance with the organisation's constitution and/or election rules. Where the election rules are deficient, the Electoral Commission SA may provide advice on established electoral practices and processes, such as:
- provision of a list of eligible voters,
- nominations,
- methods of voting,
- informality,and
- counting procedures.
To conduct an election or ballot, the organisation must provide the Electoral Commission SA a certified list of eligible voters.
For further information visit our Publications page.
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