Compulsory voting on cards for council elections
A crucial decision is looming on whether South Australians should have to vote in all council elections.
Compulsory voting could be introduced to South Australian local government elections in the near future, with council delegates from across the state’s 68 councils set to meet in Adelaide next month to decide whether to push the state government to change voting laws.
The Local Government Association Conference and Annual General Meeting will bring together Mayors, CEOs and councillors from across SA to decide on local government advocacy and policy priorities.
Among the top priorities is a proposal that would see compulsory voting in council elections introduced from 2031, as concerns are raised over low voter turnout and participation in voluntary elections.
Local Government Association SA president Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross said the compulsory voting discussion was needed and welcomed the opportunity to debate with other local government representatives.
“Councils make decisions that directly affect people’s daily lives, from roads, planning and the environment to community facilities and essential services, so it’s important residents have a say in who represents them and the decisions that shape their communities,” Holmes-Ross said.
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“For some time, only around one third of South Australians eligible to vote in council elections are doing so, and compulsory voting is one potential way to strengthen voter turnout and help build a stronger and more representative local government sector.”
It follows the announcement earlier this year that local government elections would be delayed until April 2027 rather than going ahead in November after urgent legislation was passed in state parliament after the Electoral Commission raised concerns about its ability to administer the poll.
Currently, voting in local government elections is compulsory for those on the House of Assembly election roll in all Australian states except SA and Western Australia, with Electoral Commission of SA (ECSA) data showing the last 2022 statewide council elections cost $8.93 million with 67 per cent of South Australians failing to register a vote.
The 2018 SA council election cycle cost $6.57 million and had an even lower voter turnout at 31.6 per cent, with ECSA data revealing voter turnout had consistently stayed around the 33 per cent mark for the past two decades.
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The most recent Adelaide City Council Central Ward by-election in August 2025 recorded a turnout of only 15.3 per cent of total voters, down from 24.3 per cent in the 2022 election.
Western Australia’s local government elections achieved a similar voter turnout rate, with 31.6 per cent of eligible community members registering a vote in the 2023 election.
Holmes-Ross said extending compulsory to SA would “lift community participation in local democracy” in line with other Australian states.
Voter turnout in Tasmania, the most recent state to introduce compulsory voting, saw participation jump from 58.7 percent in 2018 to 84.8 percent in 2022 when voting was made mandatory, while in Victoria, 84.1 per cent of voters participated at the most recent election.
“Whether councils support such a move will be decided in December, however this debate has been long overdue and I look forward to seeing what the sector decides,” Holmes-Ross said.
Delegates will also vote on whether to support trialling in-person voting at council elections to provide alternatives to postal voting, but any changes to voting in SA local government elections requires the support of state parliament.
Local Government Minister Rhiannon Pearce told InDaily the state government had recently made reforms and amendments to the Statutes Amendment (Local Government Elections Review) Act 2025 to improve election integrity.
It includes the reintroduction real-time publication of nominations to reduce the number of council position vacancies.
“The changes to the acts aim to improve the integrity and efficiency of local government elections and improve participation by both candidates and voters,” Pearce said.
“The postponement of the elections, and the reforms to the Act, represent significant changes to the way local government operates and the State Government does not believe this election cycle is the appropriate time to implement compulsory voting.”
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