News

ECSA phones outage

ECSA is currently experiencing problems with our phone lines. We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

We apologise for the inconvenience.

If you require assistance, please contact us by email on: ECSAcomments@sa.gov.au

Results for District Council of Ceduna

Mr Anthony William Nicholls has been elected as the new councillor for the District Council of Ceduna.

Voting for this election was conducted by post, and the ballot closed at 12 noon on Monday 9 December 2019.

Detailed results for the election are available on the supplementary election results page.

Results for District Council of Grant election

Mr Peter Duncan has been elected as the new councillor for the District Council of Grant - Central Ward.

Voting for this election was conducted by post, and the ballot closed at 12 noon on Monday 9 December 2019.

Detailed results for the election are available on the supplementary election results page.

Results for District Council of Mount Remarkable election

Mr Greg Prestridge has been elected as the new councillor for the District Council of Mount Remarkable - Willochra Ward

Voting for this election was conducted by post, and the ballot closed at 12 noon on Monday 9 December2019.

Detailed results for the election are available on the supplementary election results page.

Results for City of Marion supplementary election

Ms Sasha Mason has been elected as the new councillor for the City of Marion – Woodlands Ward.

Voting for this election was conducted by post, and the ballot closed at 12 noon on Monday 9 November 2019.

Detailed results for the election are available on the supplementary election results page.

ECSA Christmas Closure

Please be advised that the Electoral Commission of South Australia will close at 3pm on Tuesday 24th December 2019 and re-open again at 9am on Thursday 2nd January 2020.

Read more: ECSA Christmas Closure

Local Government Election Report 2018

ECSA’s Report on the 2018 Local Government Elections was tabled today in Parliament.

As well as providing a detailed account of the elections, the Report contains 21 new recommendations designed to improve the delivery of future council elections.

Key recommendations include:

• changing the timing of local government periodic elections so they do not occur within the same year as a state election.
  
  
• introducing a more common-sense approach to authorisation requirements for electoral material.
  
  
• replacing overseas and interstate postal voting with an electronic system for the delivery and return of ballot papers.
  
  

Read the Report here: https://ecsa.sa.gov.au/about-ecsa/publications/council-election-reports 

Results District Council of Robe

The results of a supplementary election of an Area Councillor for the District Council of Robe are now available.

Read more: Results District Council of Robe

Results District Council of Coober Pedy - Conduct of polls

The results for the District Council of Coober Pedy are now available. Voting for this poll was conducted by post, and ballots closed at 12 noon on Monday 21 October 2019.

You can find the results on the District Council of Coober Pedy Conduct of Polls page.

Redistribution proceedings to commence

The Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission is calling for written representations on constitutional amendments prior to convening its initial hearing in December.

Advertisements calling for written representations to be submitted by 5:00pm on Friday November 2019 have been published. A preliminary hearing to commence at 10:00am on Tuesday 3 December 2019 in the Supreme Court Building, 1 Gouger Street Adelaide, will address representations on the effects of the amendments to section 83 of the Constitution Act 1934. Further representations as to demographic data, boundary proposals or related matters will be invited at a later date and subsequent hearings will be scheduled and advised accordingly.

The proposed schedule of events is available on the Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission website (external link). Advertisements appeared in South Australian and national press on the weekend of 19 and 20 October 2019 and will appear in regional local papers over the next week.

Nominations open - three APY Executive Board elections

Nominations are now open for supplementary elections for the APY Lands Executive Board. There are vacancies for:

Read more: Nominations open - three APY Executive Board elections

Report into funding and disclosure legislation

Electoral Commission SA’s report on the operation and administration of South Australia’s funding, expenditure and disclosure legislation was tabled in the Parliament this week.

In addition to providing an overview of the funding, expenditure and disclosure legislation, the Report contains 44 recommendations that ECSA believes are necessary to facilitate the efficient and effective operation of this legislation.

Click to read the report.

Wattle Range Council supplementary election results

The provisional results of the supplementary election of a Ward Councillor for Wattle Range Council (Corcoran Ward) are now available on the election webpage.

Read more: Wattle Range Council supplementary election results

Live stream draw for position - Lower Eyre Peninsula

At 4pm Thursday 5 September 2019 we will be live streaming the draw for positions of candidate names on the ballot paper for the District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula.

Read more: Live stream draw for position - Lower Eyre Peninsula

Review of APY Electorates

The Electoral Commissioner has commenced a review of the APY Electorates in preparation for the 2020 APY Executive Board elections. Read more here APY Electorate Review page..

Close of rolls – APY, Coober Pedy and Robe

Rolls close at 5pm on Friday 30 August 2019 for the following:

Read more: Close of rolls – APY, Coober Pedy and Robe

Annual Political Expenditure Returns Due

Section 130ZR of the Electoral Act 1985 requires any person who has incurred political expenditure of more than $5,310 during the financial year 1 July 2018 – 30 June 2019 to lodge an Annual Political Expenditure Return with the South Australian Electoral Commissioner. The return must be lodged by Monday 23 September 2019.

If a person does NOT have any disclosable political expenditure, then they are NOT required to lodge a return (ie spent $5,310 or under). Nil returns do not need to be lodged.

The Annual Political Expenditure Return can be lodged via the Funding and Disclosure Portal. An Annual Political Expenditure Return Guide and a Political Expenditure Guide are available on the guides page.

Note:

1. Members of the South Australian Parliament and the Crown are excluded from the requirement to lodge this return.
2. The lodgement obligation extends to any person incurring political expenditure over the threshold. A ‘person’ also includes an unincorporated association (see section 130A).
3. The South Australian disclosure scheme only relates to State matters. Therefore, expenditure on Federal or local government campaigning, are not considered ‘political expenditure’ under the scheme.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Funding, Disclosure & Registration Branch on 7424 7400.

2018 State Election Statistics Report

ECSA’s Statistics Report on the 2018 South Australian State Election was tabled in Parliament today (31 July 2019), and is now available in the publications section of our website.

Supplementary election for District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula

A supplementary election will be conducted to fill a vacancy for Area Councillor for the District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula.

Read more: Supplementary election for District Council of Lower Eyre Peninsula

Australian Conservatives (SA) de-registered

The Australian Conservatives (SA) has been de-registered pursuant to a voluntary application for de-registration under section 44 of the Electoral Act 1985.

Read more: Australian Conservatives (SA) de-registered

Supplementary election for Wattle Range Council - Corcoran Ward

A supplementary election will be conducted to fill a vacancy for Ward Councillor for Corcoran Ward, Wattle Range Council.

A list of election dates and other information is available on our Wattle Range Council supplementary election webpage.

New report on improving truth in political advertising

A detailed report has been published by University College London on how information and discourse in election campaigns in the UK can be improved.

As part of his extensive research the report’s co-author Dr Alan Renwick visited South Australia, which has the strongest laws in the world regarding truth in political advertising, and interviewed members of parliament, academics, media and Deputy Electoral Commissioner David Gully about the legislative provision (section 113 of South Australia’s Electoral Act 1985). As a result the report includes a detailed discussion about the history and efficacy of this law in South Australia.

A copy of the report is available on the University College London website

Have you received an Apparent Failure to Vote Notice from us?

On Wednesday 1 May 2019, the Electoral Commission SA issued notices to electors who, according to our records, failed to vote at the Cheltenham and Enfield by-elections held on Saturday 9 February 2019. This notice is an opportunity for electors to provide a reason for their apparent failure to vote. It is not a fine.

If an elector fails to provide a valid and sufficient reason for not voting or fails to respond by Wednesday 29 May 2019, they will be issued with a fine.

If you have received this notice, or did not vote at the by-elections, please contact us as soon as possible to avoid further action in the non-voters process. Another person may contact us on your behalf if you are unable to do so.

Non-Voters Customer Service
Phone: 1300 655 232
Email: ecsa.nonvoters@sa.gov.au

Tasmanian Legislative Council Election

Close of rolls Mid Murray Council - Shearer Ward

The voters roll for the supplementary election of one Councillor in the Mid Murray Council closes at 5pm on Tuesday 30 April 2019.

You are entitled to vote in the election if you are on the State electoral roll. If you have recently turned 18 or changed your residential or postal address you must complete an electoral enrolment form that is available from the Electoral Commission SA or a post office.

If you are not eligible to enrol on the State electoral roll you may still be entitled to enrol to vote if you are one of the following:

• a resident or a non-Australian citizen who has lived at your residential address for one month or more, or
• an owner of an organisation or business, or
• an owner of a holiday home, or
• a sole owner, or group of owners, of a rateable property, or
• a sole occupier, or group of occupiers, of a rateable property, or
• a landlord of rateable property.

Enrolment forms to be included on the council voters roll are available from the Mid Murray Council (external link).

Nominations to fill the vacancy open on Thursday 23 May 2019 and close at 12 noon Thursday 6 June May 2019.

The election is conducted entirely by post. Completed ballot papers must reach the Deputy Returning Officer by 12 noon on Monday 8 July 2019. Voting is not compulsory for council elections. 

APY Supplementary election result - Mimili

Following the close of nominations and relevant checks for candidate suitability, one eligible nomination was received. As Returning Officer for the APY Executive Board Supplementary Election, I, Mick Sherry, declare Mr Willy Pompey duly elected as APY Executive Board Member for Mimili pursuant to clause 7 of Schedule 3 of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981.

2019 federal election

A federal election has been announced for Saturday 18 May 2019.

Federal elections are administered by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). We (Electoral Commission SA) administer state and council elections.

For information about the federal election please visit the AEC website (external link) or contact the AEC using its online enquiry form or by phone.

Close of rolls Kangaroo Island Council

The voters roll for the supplementary election of two Councillors in the Kangaroo Island Council closes at 5pm on Friday 29 March 2019.

You are entitled to vote in the election if you are on the State electoral roll. If you have recently turned 18 or changed your residential or postal address you must complete an electoral enrolment form that is available from the Electoral Commission SA or a post office.

If you are not eligible to enrol on the State electoral roll you may still be entitled to enrol to vote if you are one of the following:

• a resident or a non-Australian citizen who has lived at your residential address for one month or more, or
• an owner of an organisation or business, or
• an owner of a holiday home, or
• a sole owner, or group of owners, of a rateable property, or
• a sole occupier, or group of occupiers, of a rateable property, or
• a landlord of rateable property.

Enrolment forms to be included on the council voters roll are available from the Kangaroo Island Council (external link).

Nominations to fill the vacancy open on Friday 26 April 2019 and close at 12 noon Friday 10 May 2019.

The election is conducted entirely by post with ballot materials to reach the Deputy Returning Officer by 12 noon on Tueday 11 June 2019. Voting is not compulsory for council elections. 

Report on the 2018 State Election now available

ECSA’s Report on the 2018 State Election report was tabled in Parliament today by The Hon. Vickie Chapman MP, Attorney-General. 

The report proposes a number of reforms to the Electoral Act that will modernise and streamline the conduct of elections, provide better voting services to electors and enable counting of votes in a more timely manner.  

An electronic copy of the Report is available on the ECSA website at 

https://ecsa.sa.gov.au/about-ecsa/publications/publications-state-election-and-by-election-reports 

APY Supplementary election – Mimili

Nominations are now open for the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Executive Board supplementary election (1 male vacancy) in Mimili.

Nominations opened on Tuesday 26 February 2019 and close on 4pm (CST) Tuesday 5 March 2019.

Nominations forms are available on this website or in person at the Mimili Anangu School.

Visit our APY page to learn more about how to nominate.

Text message to electors about by-elections

Electoral Commission SA will send a text message to all enrolled electors in the districts of Cheltenham and Enfield for whom we have a mobile number tomorrow morning as a reminder to vote in the compulsory by-elections. The SMS will only be sent to those who have not already voted early or by post.

Read more in our media release

Frequently asked questions about the by-elections

Frequently asked questions about the by-elections

Over the past few weeks our call center has received hundreds of phone calls a day about the by-elections.

The top five most popular questions are:

1. What is this by-election?

Two members of the House of Assembly (Mr Jay Weatherill and Mr John Rau) have retired from Parliament. These by-elections are to elect new members for the state districts of Cheltenham and Enfield.

2. Do I have to vote?

Yes. If you are enrolled in the district of Cheltenham or Enfield it is compulsory to vote. You can check your enrolment and district instantly online at https://check.aec.gov.au/

3. What’s my closest polling booth?

Visit our interactive map and type in your address https://ecsa.sa.gov.au/map

4. Where can I vote early?

The addresses and opening hours of our early voting centres are available at https://ecsa.sa.gov.au/…/cheltenham-and-enfield-by-election

5. Do I have to take my EasyVote Card?

It is not compulsory to take your EasyVote Card but if you do it will make the voting process faster.

Half-yearly returns available for viewing.

The half-yearly Political Party Returns, Associated Entity Returns and Donor Returns for the period up to 31 December 2018 are now available to be viewed on the Funding and Disclosure Portal.

For more information about disclosures, please contact our Funding, Disclosure & Registration Branch on 7424 7400.

How-to-vote cards for the Cheltenham and Enfield by-elections

How-to-vote cards for the Cheltenham and Enfield by-elections are now available on our website . It is your choice whether you follow a how-to-vote card when you vote

Early voting now open for by-elections

Early voting for the 2019 Cheltenham and Enfield by-elections opened today, Tuesday 29 January. 

Read more: Early voting now open for by-elections

Candidates announced for Cheltenham and Enfield by-elections

On Thursday 24 January 2019 the Returning Officers for the House of Assembly electoral districts of Cheltenham (Mr Darren Marshman) and Enfield (Ms Nicola Skirrey) declared the candidates and conducted ballot draws to determine the order in which the candidates will appear on the House of Assembly ballot papers for the Cheltenham and Enfield by-elections. 

Nominations open Northern Areas Council Yackamoorundie Ward