Elections
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A Writ is the legal instrument or official document authorising an election to be held for representatives to serve in the Parliament. In South Australia, Writs are issued for:
- Legislative Council and House of Assembly general elections
- House of Assembly by-elections for casual vacancies caused by the death or resignation of a member, or for another reason (see the By-elections page for more information).
The Writ outlines the timeframe for the election, including deadlines for:
- Enrolling to vote
- Lodging nominations
- The Writ to be returned
The Writ fixes a day for polling day (if there are more nominations than vacancies).
The dates can be deferred in certain circumstances, but by no more than 21 days. Beyond that date, or if an election partially or wholly fails, a new Writ must be issued.
The Electoral Act 1985 allows one multi-district Writ to be issued authorising general elections in all House of Assembly districts. Previously, separate Writs were issued for each district election.
Individual Writs continue to be issued for the Legislative Council election and any lower house by-election. The Electoral Act 1985 also introduced a separate date for the close of the electoral rolls following Writ issue.
Amendments to the Electoral Act 1985 introduced in 2013 require that for general elections the Writ must be issued 28 days before the date fixed for polling.
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A federal election will be held on Saturday 18 May 2019.
Information about the federal election is available on the AEC website .
Who conducts federal elections?
Federal elections are administered by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). We (Electoral Commission SA) administer state and council elections.
Where can I find information about the federal election?
For information about the upcoming federal election visit the AEC website .
Popular AEC links include:
- Apply for postal vote
- Check my enrolment
- Update my address
- Change my name
- Enrol for the first time
- Apply for work at the federal election
- Living or going overseas )
- A relative has died. How do I remove their name from the roll?
- A relative has dementia. What should I do?
- I know someone who I believe shouldn't be enrolled. What can I do?
I need assistance with the federal election – who do I contact?
To contact the AEC you can use its online enquiry form or call the AEC on 13 23 26 (charged at a rate similar to a local call).
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House of Assembly state summary
Legislative Council state summary
House of Assembly district results
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A referendum allows eligible electors to express an opinion on adopting or changing public policy issues or their constitution. In Australia, referenda are initiated by the Commonwealth, State or Territory parliaments.
Like general elections, voting in referenda is compulsory for all enrolled electors.
Australia's first ever referendum was held in South Australia in 1896 and dealt with matters relating to secular and religious education. Following the success of the South Australian referendum the process was then adopted countrywide at both State and Federal level.
The process for enacting a State referendum is as follows:
- A Bill containing the proposed changes is laid before, and discussed by, both houses of Parliament.
- After the Bill passes through Parliament, the electorate votes on the issue at a referendum.
- If a majority of voters at the referendum approve of the Bill, it may be sent to the Governor for official consent and may become law.
State referenda have included issues debated by Parliament such as daylight saving, trading hours for shops, and the closing time for pubs. The table below shows some of the referenda held in South Australia, including their results.
| Date | Proposal | Votes in favour | Votes not in favour |
Passed |
|
29/04/1899 |
'Are you in favour of the Amended Commonwealth Bill?' 'Are you in favour of extending the franchise for the Legislative Council to all householders as provided by the Bill passed by the House of Assembly in 1898?' |
65,990
49,208 |
17,053
33,928 |
YES
YES |
|
26/04/1911 |
'Are you in favour of increasing the payment of Members of Parliament to Three Hundred pounds per annum?' |
42,934 |
89,042 |
NO |
|
20/11/1965 |
‘Are you in favour of the promotion and conduct of Lotteries by the Government of the State?’ | 344,886 | 142,196 | YES |
|
19/09/1970 |
‘Are you in favour of shops in the Metropolitan Planning Area and the Municipality of Gawler being permitted to remain open for trading until 9 pm on Fridays?’ | 177,296 | 190,826 | NO |
|
06/11/1982 |
‘Are you in favour of Daylight Saving?’ | 568,635 | 225,310 | YES |
| 09/02/1991 | ‘Do you approve the Constitution (Electoral Redistribution) Amendment Bill, 1990?’ | 649,906 | 197,244 | YES |
More information can be found in the publication South Australian referenda (PDF 818 KB)