Voting
More ways to vote than ever
Early voting
Under new legislation, every elector can vote early without eligibility requirements. For the week before polling day, early voting centres will be open across many districts, giving voters more choice, reducing congestion, and creating a smoother, more convenient voting experience.
Interstate or overseas voting
You’ll find voting centres across South Australia, interstate, and even at select overseas locations to cast your vote in person. It’s all about making voting easier, wherever you are.
Polling day voting
Polling booths are open from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. You can vote at any polling booth, anywhere within the state.
Postal voting
Remote mobile voting
Remote mobile polling is a voting service provided to electors in remote areas. This service enables electors in remote rural and outback communities to be visited by electoral officials so they can cast their vote.
Telephone Assisted Voting (TAV)
Hospital or nursing home (declared voting)
Residents of nursing homes, those in hospital or other institutions, such as prisons, can vote at state elections and by-elections with a mobile voting team. We send trained electoral teams to support the voting process. Patients and residents of these institutions may also apply for a postal vote. These are known as "Declared institutions".
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Easy read guide - how to enrol to vote
Enrolling to vote (PDF English)
Easy read guides - other
How to complete your ballot papers (PDF English)
South Australian voters choose representatives to make decisions on their behalf at elections.
Decisions made by these representatives and other elected members affect almost every aspect of our daily lives.
This section of our website will help people understand how the South Australian voting systems work and the rights and responsibilities of voters.
The list below has some of the responsibilities of each level of government.
Federal government (compulsory voting):
- Defence
- Immigration
- Social services
- Higher education
- Medicare and health funding
- Taxation
State government (compulsory voting):
- Law and order
- Schools and education
- Hospitals and health services
- Roads and highways
- Transport
- Housing
Local council (non compulsory voting):
- Local roads and footpaths
- Libraries
- Child care centres
- Recycling and waste management
- Sporting facilities and recreation reserves
- Town planning and building regulations
Your vote is important and all votes are equal.
Where you can follow us
How-to-vote cards (HTVCs) are created by political parties, groups, or independent candidates to show the order in which they prefer you to number your ballot papers. You can choose to follow them or vote entirely according to your own preferences. There are 2 types of HTVCs used in South Australian elections:
- Cards lodged for display in polling places and early voting centres.
- Cards lodged for distribution by individuals or campaign workers during the election period.
HTVCs at polling places
Political party and candidate workers may stand outside polling places offering HTVCs that show how they would like you to vote. You do not have to take these cards.Anyone distributing a HTVC during the election period must ensure it is substantially the same as the version lodged with the Electoral Commission of South Australia.
👉 Learn more detailed information about HTVCs.