A computer glitch across several seats caused long waits in voting and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Peter Malinauskas were ‘manning’ the barbie in the heart of former Liberal Leader Vincent Tarzia’s territory this morning.

Former Liberal Leader David Speirs – who is standing as an independent in the seat of Black after being convicted on drug supply charges – cast his vote, saying he was confident that among voters in Black his conviction was “significantly negated by the years spent with community”.

“Win or lose, this is the best thing I could have done for me,” the former Liberal who resigned after a cocaine scandal that impacted his mental health, said.

And he was not phased by Labor messaging that he “crossed a line” as he worked his way through a third democracy sausage of the day.

“The campaign would have been incredibly boring and been a contest between Labor and One Nation,” Speirs, who has 120 volunteers working for him across the electorate, said.

One Nation candidate for Black, Pauline Wilson, said she had seen a lot of local support as people are fed up with government spending.

Her father, Richard, one of her volunteers, said he received a letter from Labor in the mail with a $1.70 postage stamp, multiplied by the number of people in the electorate, he said it was a “waste of money for a bit of paper that was just going in the bin”.

Liberal Black candidate Rhees Bishop – who, when asked about his chances, said running for parliament was not on his bingo card but “my concerns were too great and I wanted to make some change”.

And in relation to a potential Speirs win, he said: “people expect more from their leaders”.

“He’s a member of the community but elevating him to a position of leadership would be unwise,” Bishop said.

By 12.30pm today, 311,563 votes had been cast across South Australia. The stats show SA has 1,317,186 million eligible voters and 435 candidates – 388 lower house and 47 upper house, with 13 political parties, 33 independents – with 28.87 per cent of eligible voters casting early votes.

Power show in former SA Liberal Leader Vincent Tarzia’s seat of Hartley

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Peter Malinauskas were at East Torrens Primary School backing Labor candidate Jenn Roberts earlier today – who is hoping to snatch the seat of Hartley from former Liberal leader Vincent Tarzia as he clings to a 3.6 per cent margin.

The two were sizzling sausages as they backed Roberts to win the north eastern suburbs seat, boosted by polls showing a statewide lean to Labor after it won the last 2022 election with a swing of 8.01 per cent.

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Tarzia was handing out campaign material with his wife and two children and told InDaily his reception this morning had been “warm”, “positive” and “receptive”.

“I really enjoy campaigns. It’s a great privilege to be a local member of parliament, and I’m very grateful to the people of Hartley for allowing me to be their representative,” he said.

Like all candidates, Tarzia has been out and about door-knocking and speaking to as many voters at the polling booths as possible since early voting started last Saturday, saying “I’ve actually got band aids on both toes at the moment – it’s been quite gruelling, especially in the heat”.

Tarzia said the biggest issues for voters in his electorate were cost-of-living pressures and housing, while local issues included a lack of car parks at Paradise Interchange, traffic congestion and outdated facilities.

But he didn’t win the support of Hartley voter Hermione Farmer, who hoped the Animal Justice Party would win, Farmer admitting it was an unlikely scenario.

“I think Peter Malinauskas will get in – I think South Australia has a propensity for liking good-looking Labor leaders, and he is good-looking, no doubt at all,” she said.

“He speaks well and is able to sort of fluff over things that are actually concerning, so he’ll get in.

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“I don’t think the Liberal Party have got a hope in hell. Their leader was seen snorting [a white powder] and he might have been a little bit stressed, I understand that, but it’s indicative of a party that’s not coping.”

InDaily visited polling booths at Glenunga International High School and St Peter Claver’s Church Hall in Dulwich, but was unable to find either Liberal candidate Jack Batty or Labor candidate Rick Sarre.

Bragg voter Mei didn’t think any party had represented the electorate well but voted Liberal because “I just want some change”.

“Labor has been in office for a long time and it has not been very efficient or improved anything in general,” she said.

“So, I just want change, especially this condition, because everything seems to be very expensive and we don’t feel a secure future because of the war – trade war or the real war.”

Fellow Bragg voter Michelle Awata thought Labor would win today, saying she was happy to see them return to power.

She said housing affordability and oil prices were the most pressing issues, as well as maintaining access to local parks.

“Seeing what’s happening with oil prices, I think SA’s done a good job to move into renewables and to expand and meet our targets,” she said.

“I haven’t voted yet. I think it was a bit of a long line for the little dog in the heat – I’ll be back.”

Computer glitch makes long lines

A South Australian Electoral Commission spokesperson said there were 600 polling places, and 7000 staff positions in place for voting but “a small number of voting centres experienced a login issue this morning, which slightly delayed their opening. This issue was resolved this morning.”

“With regards to Newton, a number of staff allocated to this polling booth were unavailable due to illness, causing a delay in opening. Once additional staff were deployed, this polling booth reopened,” he said.

Pundits are keeping a close eye on the orange t-shirt brigade handing out how-to-vote cards of much-spruiked One Nation as the party led nationally by Pauline Hanson and locally by Cory Bernardi had drawn intense interest over the campaign.

A breakdown of the primary vote by region completed by independent pollster DemosAU showed One Nation leading the Liberals in regional and rural SA – with One Nation pulling 39 per cent of the vote compared to the Liberals’ 15 per cent.

Alongside polling today, there is also voting happening for the 2026 SA First Nations Voice to Parliament, to elect representatives to the six Local First Nations Voices.

Déjà vu in Dunstan

A trio of pollies met a long line of voters waiting to cast their ballot at Norwood Primary School in the inner-suburban electorate of Dunstan.

It was like déjà vu, as the trio was the very same that recently contested the seat at a 2024 byelection, which saw Labor take the seat from the Liberals on a very slim margin.

Liberal candidate Anna Finizio lost to now-Labor MP Cressida O’Hanlon by less than 400 votes.

Preferences from Greens candidate Katie McCusker to Labor saw the Liberals concede the loss of Dunstan, formerly held by former Premier Steven Marshall.

Today, McCusker, O’Hanlon and Finizio were back at Norwood Primary school pitching to voters.

But this time around, McCusker is aiming for a spot in the Legislative Council. She is second on the Greens ticket there, and Christel Mex is waving the green flag for her party’s bid for the Lower House seat.

O’Hanlon today said she was “feeling pretty supported”, and that Labor would do better this time around: “Only because Katie McCusker as a candidate worked really hard in the by-election. I feel like the Greens’ vote will be lower.”

She will celebrate later tonight with the 150 Labor Dunstan volunteers who supported her campaign.

But Liberal hopeful Finizio, who is having another crack at the seat, said it would be a “really tough fight”.

“I’ve worked really hard, I’m really proud of what we’ve done locally,” she said.

“I absolutely think the Greens will deliver Labor this seat again, and it’s really disappointing because I think a lot of Greens voters are cross with Labor but they don’t understand the impact that their preference vote has.”

Firie versus former Labor adviser: John Gardner’s seat of Morialta

In Morialta, candidates for both major parties were at Magill Primary School this morning in a last-ditch bid to win votes – the Libs hold the seat with a tiny 1.4 per cent margin, with outgoing member John Gardner, who has held the seat since 2010, having retired.

Liberal candidate and fireman Scott Kennedy said he was “feeling optimistic” about the campaign, with Adelaide University’s Magill campus and cost-of-living pressures front of mind.

“The Magill University campus was a very big issue and we’re wanting to save that land for community use,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy also supports plans to cut energy bills, slash payroll tax, and remove stamp duty for first home buyers, which he said would “help affordability” for Morialta locals.

Magill campus had also been a hot topic in Labor candidate – former adviser to Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison – Matthew Marozzi’s campaign, with Labor planning to sell hell half of the campus for housing, retirement living and aged care.

“I think we’ve got a really good plan for the community with Magill campus,” he said.

“We’re here at a public school and I think a lot of parents are looking for relief in terms of school fees, so I think we’ve got a really good plan for the local community.”

Seats to watch

Ngadjuri – the renamed seat of Frome, with new boundaries, is being contested by Labor’s Tony Piccolo, who has moved from the neighbouring seat of Light – changed boundaries have reduced the Liberals 8.1 per cent margin to an estimated 3.2 per cent, putting pressure on incumbent Liberal MP Penny Pratt

MacKillop – sitting member, Liberal-turned-independent Nick McBride, is on home detention while facing domestic charges of assault – nine-way race includes One Nation’s Jason Virgo, a security guard and Mount Gambier councillor, and the Liberals have high hopes for candidate Rebekah Rosser

Dunstan – Labor’s Cressida O’Hanlon won former Liberal leader Steven Marshall’s seat in a by-election in March 2024, but holds the seat with a 0.8 per cent margin

Schubert – Liberal leader Ashton Hurn has spent a lot of time campaigning in her Barossa Valley seat, which she holds by 11.9 per cent

Mt Gambier – vacant for six months after Independent MP Troy Bell was sentenced to prison for theft –  Travis Fatchen, Bell’s office manager for 11 years, is running as an independent, while lawyer Lamorna Alexander is the Liberal candidate

Black – former Liberal leader and convicted drug supplier David Speirs, standing as an independent, trying to win back the seat from Labor’s Alex Dighton

– with AAP