Council candidates

Local Government Council Elections – Update

The next periodic local government council elections will now be held in April 2027 (previously scheduled for November 2026).

On this page

↓ Overview
↓ 2027 Council elections timetable
↓ Acts and regulations
↓ Candidate eligibility
↓ Nominating as a candidate
↓ Candidate responsibilities
↓ Forms and handbooks
↓ Responsibilities as a council member

Overview

This page outlines the key rules, responsibilities and requirements for standing as a candidate in South Australian council elections. It explains who is eligible to nominate, what disqualifies a person from being a candidate, and the obligations candidates must meet during the election period — including disclosure, advertising and conduct requirements.

The information is drawn from the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999, associated regulations, and relevant provisions of the Local Government Act 1999 and City of Adelaide Act 1998.

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2027 Council elections timetable

  • Rolls close — 5pm, Monday 4 January 2027
  • Nominations open — Tuesday 26 January 2027
  • Nominations close — 12 noon, Tuesday 9 February 2027
  • Draw for ballot paper order — 9am, Wednesday 10 February 2027
  • Candidate profiles published online — no later than Tuesday 23 February 2027
  • Mail out of voting material — Thursday 11 March to Wednesday 17 March 2027
  • Close of voting (polling day) — 5pm, Wednesday 7 April 2027
  • Scrutiny and count — 9am, Saturday 10 April 2027

Acts and Regulations

Council elections are governed by the following legislation:

These should be read together with the: Local Government Act 1999 and the City of Adelaide Act 1998.

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Candidate eligibility and ineligibility

Eligibility

Under Part 6 of the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999, you are eligible to stand as a candidate if you:

  • are an Australian citizen, and
  • at the time the electoral roll closes, you are:
    • enrolled in the council area you are contesting, or
    • the nominee of a body corporate on the voters roll, or
    • the nominee of a group on the voters roll, or
    • a person (or nominee of a body corporate or group) left on the roll in error.

Additional rules apply to nominees of bodies corporate and groups, including requirements relating to membership, officer status, age and the limit of one nomination per election.

Ineligibility

You are not eligible to be a candidate if you:

  • are a member of an Australian Parliament
  • are an undischarged bankrupt or receiving the benefit of a law for the relief of insolvent debtors
  • have been sentenced to imprisonment and are, or could become, liable to serve the sentence or any remainder
  • are an employee of the council
  • are disqualified from election by court order under the Local Government Act 1999
  • are suspended from office under section 55B of the Local Government Act 1999

Additional restrictions apply:

  • Supplementary elections: you cannot stand if you are a member of another council
  • Any election: you cannot stand if you are already a candidate for election as a member of another council

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Nominating as a candidate

To stand in a South Australian council election, eligible candidates must formally lodge a nomination with the returning officer during the nomination period. The rules for nominating are set out in Division 2 of the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999.

This section explains when nominations open and close, what must be lodged, and how nominations are published.

Lodging a nomination

A person who is eligible to be a candidate may nominate in the prescribed manner. Nominations can only be lodged from Tuesday 26 January 2027, and must be received no later than 12 noon on Tuesday 9 February 2027.

Your nomination must include:

  • a declaration of eligibility
  • a candidate profile that meets the requirements of the regulations (you may include a compliant photograph)
  • any other information or material required by the regulations

The returning officer records the date and time your nomination is received.

Candidate names

The returning officer may reject a nomination if the name under which you are nominated is:

  • obscene
  • frivolous
  • assumed for an ulterior purpose

A nomination must be rejected if you have already been nominated for another vacancy and that earlier nomination has not been withdrawn.

Validity of nominations

If the returning officer identifies any matter that may render your nomination invalid, they will take reasonable steps to notify you before nominations close so you can address the issue.

Any dispute about the validity of a nomination is determined summarily by the returning officer.

Publication of nominations

From the day nominations open until 24 hours after they close, the returning officer keeps an up‑to‑date list of valid nominations on the ECSA website.

Within 24 hours after nominations close, the returning officer:

  • provides councils with the list of valid nominations for their area
  • publishes the full list online

Candidate profiles

Candidate profiles are published online as soon as reasonably practicable after nominations close, and no later than 14 days afterwards.

Candidates are solely responsible for the content of their profile. The returning officer, councils and any person involved in publishing the profile bear no civil or criminal liability for its publication.

Withdrawing a nomination

A nominated candidate may withdraw their nomination at any time before nominations close by giving written notice to the returning officer.

Bodies corporate or groups nominating a candidate may also withdraw their nomination before nominations close.

Uncontested elections

If, after nominations close, the number of candidates does not exceed the number of positions to be filled, the returning officer must declare those candidates elected.

For periodic elections, this declaration is made at the same time as the draw for ballot paper order.

If a candidate is declared elected:

  • in a supplementary election — the election takes effect immediately
  • in other cases — the election takes effect at the conclusion of the relevant elections

Notices to candidates

Within 16 days of nominations closing, the returning officer provides public notice and written notice to candidates setting out:

  • the names of all nominated candidates and the offices they were nominated for
  • the names of any candidates declared elected
  • the polling day (if an election is required)
  • information on the operation of Part 14 (illegal practices)

If an election is to be held, the notice includes a statement about illegal practices in the form determined by the Electoral Commissioner.

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Candidate responsibilities

Candidates in South Australian council elections have important responsibilities designed to support fair, transparent and lawful participation. These include:

  • ensuring all electoral material is properly authorised
  • ensuring material is not inaccurate or misleading
  • lodging disclosure returns during and after the election period
  • complying with restrictions on electoral advertising
  • avoiding conduct that may constitute an illegal practice under the Act.

Disclosure returns

Candidates must lodge disclosure returns at the times required under the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 and the City of Adelaide Act 1998.

👉Learn more about disclosure requirements

Electoral advertising

In this guidance, electoral advertising refers to 'electoral material' as defined in the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999.

Restrictions apply to the publication and display of electoral material during South Australian local government elections. These requirements are set out in Part 7 of the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999  and section 226 of the Local Government Act 1999.

The Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) cannot provide legal advice. If you are unsure about your obligations, you should seek independent legal advice.

👉 Learn more about electoral advertising

Illegal practices

Part 12 of the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 sets out a range of illegal practices, including:

  • bribery
  • intimidation
  • interference with voting processes
  • dishonest conduct
  • other actions that undermine the integrity of an election

Penalties apply for anyone who engages in this behaviour.

👉 Learn more about illegal practices

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Forms and handbooks

These will be publilshed closer to the election period.

Responsibilities as a member of a council

Councils deliver many of the services that make South Australia a great place to live and work, including libraries, playgrounds, sporting facilities and waste and recycling.

Becoming a councillor or mayor means helping shape policies and decisions that affect the short and long‑term future of your local community.

More information is available on the council elections website.

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