Data and statistics 2019-20

Summary of council elections

Council vacancies

Councils carrying a vacancy during this period were: 

• Kangaroo Island Council 
• Port Pirie Regional Council
• District Council of Orroroo Carrieton.

These councils adopted a policy not to fill a casual vacancy until the next general election, however if a subsequent vacancy occurs prior to January 2022, a supplementary election must be held to fill all the vacancies.

Council polls

The District Council of Coober Pedy held four concurrent polls. The mailout occurred on 1 October 2019 with the scrutiny and count held on Tuesday 22 October 2019. The total number of enrolled electors was 985. Three hundred and fifty envelopes were returned, for a participation rate of 35.53%.

Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands Executive Board elections

ECSA conducted 3 supplementary elections for the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Executive Board in November and December 2019.

These elections were held to fill 3 vacancies, 1 within each of the following communities:

• Mimili – 1 female member
• Amata and Tjurma – 1 male member
• Pukatja, Yunyarinyi, Anilalya and Turkey Bore – 1 male member

Other statutory elections

The elections for the South Eastern Water Conservation and Drainage Board are held every four years. In total, three elections are managed for the following electoral zones; Central Electoral Zone, Northern Electoral Zone and Southern Electoral Zone. At the close of nominations on Monday 22 June 2020, only 1 nomination was received for the Central Electoral Zone, with Brett McLaren elected unopposed, and the Northern Electoral Zone, with Miles Weston Hannemann elected unopposed.

Two nominations were received for the Southern Electoral Zone. Ballot packs were sent out to those eligible electors with the election being finalised in the 2020 – 21 financial year.

 Community and commercial elections

*First past the post

South Australia enrolment rate at 30 June 2020

 Electors enrolled by age group at 30 June 2020

*Voting Eligible Population percentages are calculated by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) based on Estimated Eligible Population using ABS citizen population figures for 30 June 2017 (final) and 30 June 2019 (preliminary) based on the 2016 Census.  ABS data is adjusted by the AEC and projected forward to the relevant date, then adjusted for British Subjects, those of unsound mind, overseas electors and new citizens since the Census. 

# Enrolment rates above 99.0% are not reported due to error associated with calculating Estimated Eligible Population which may overstate the actual enrolment rate.

Enrolment transactions 2017 to 2020

* Includes persons who have provisionally enrolled that have turned 18 and new enrolments by 18 year olds (8,226 in 2019-20).

** These ‘movements within state’ figures are not included in the table totals below.

*** Net adjustments and data corrections.

Registered declaration voters by criteria at 30/6/20

ECSA maintains a register of voters who are permanently prevented from attending a polling booth and meet certain criteria. These voters are called registered declaration voters for state elections and general postal voters for federal elections. Once registered, a voter will always receive a postal vote for every election and does not need to re-apply for future elections.

Eight political parties were registered for state elections in South Australia.

*The following parties were de-registered on 28/11/2019 for failure to have the required number of members to continue as an eligible political party under section 45 of the Electoral Act 1985: Danig Party of Australia (SA Division), Dignity Party Inc, Liberal Democratic Party, Stop Population Growth Now Party.

Registered political parties at 30 June 2020

Returns

Political Party Returns, Associated Entity Returns and Donor Returns are lodged on a half-yearly basis and must be lodged within 30 days of the end of the half-yearly period.

In January 2020, ECSA received returns for the period 1 July 2019 to 31 December 2019. The table below summarises the return lodgements for the period.

Returns for period 1 July 2019 to 31 December 2019.

*Danig Party of Australia (SA Division) and Liberal Democratic Party lodged a return, however were deregistered on 28 November 2019.

All returns lodged are available on ECSA’s Funding and Disclosure Portal.

Public funding

No general election or by-election was held in the 2019-20 financial year and ECSA was not called upon to pay election funding to reimburse political expenditure incurred by eligible participants in relation to an election.

Non-voter activity

Section 85 of the Electoral Act 1985 sets out the procedures to be implemented by the Electoral Commissioner relating to electors who appear to have not voted at an election. The non-voter process commences three months after election day and continues until each expiation has been resolved.

The table below outlines the non-voter activity, starting with Notice 1 which gives the elector the opportunity to provide a valid reason for their apparent failure to vote, through to referral of the expiation to the Fines Enforcement and Recovery Unit (FERU).

Once an expiation has been referred to FERU an elector can make an application for a review. If the review is granted the expiation is referred back to ECSA and the expiation is reissued (Notice 2). There is no maximum numbers of review that can be granted.  This cycle can occur multiple times if the matter is left unresolved.  

* 2018 State Election
# 2019 Cheltenham and Enfield by-elections