South Australia is considering postponing this year's local government elections, in a move that would affect councils right across the state. The state's acting Electoral Commissioner has signalled a preference to push the council elections back, rather than hold them on schedule. The proposal has put the timing of the vote in doubt and prompted discussion about how and when South Australians will next go to the polls at the local level.
The reason behind the potential delay lies in problems at an earlier vote. South Australia's state election in March was marred by a series of issues that led all sides of politics to call for an independent review. Among the problems were understaffing and incredibly long wait times for people trying to cast their ballots, which left the running of the election under serious scrutiny.
The difficulties did not end at the polling booth. There were also issues with the voice to parliament vote held at the same time, as well as more than 600 votes that were left uncounted. Those uncounted ballots were found weeks after the election had taken place, deepening concerns about how the process had been managed and adding weight to the calls for a thorough review.
The local government elections had been due to be held in November. However, the acting Electoral Commissioner wants to wait until the recommendations from the review of the state election are finalised before proceeding. That review is due to be handed down in either September or October, which would leave little time to act on its findings before the scheduled November poll.
If the delay were to go ahead, it would affect all councils across the state, with one exception. Roxby Downs, which is run by an administration rather than an elected council, would not be caught up in the change. For every other local council, the timing of their elections would hinge on the decision now being weighed by electoral and government authorities.
The decision does not rest with the Electoral Commission alone. Any delay would need to be approved by the state Attorney General, who met with the Electoral Commission recently. During that meeting, the Attorney General was told that there were concerns about the commission's capacity to run the council elections as planned, given everything that had unfolded around the state poll.
The prospect of a postponement has drawn a cautious response. The local government authority described it as a late decision to potentially delay the council elections, while stressing that the integrity of democratic elections is fundamental. A decision on whether the council elections will be pushed back is expected to be made in the coming days, bringing some clarity to voters and candidates alike.