Today His Excellency, the Honourable Dr Richard Harris SC OAM, the Governor’s Deputy of South Australia, issued the writs for the 2026 State Election, ending the fifty-fifth South Australian Parliament and formally triggering the election process.
What are the writs?
A writ is the official legal instrument that authorises an election to be held to choose representatives to serve in the South Australian Parliament. The Governor of South Australia issues one writ for the 47 House of Assembly elections and another writ for the election of 11 members of the Legislative Council. The writs instruct the Electoral Commissioner – the independent and impartial umpire responsible for delivering the State Election - to run the elections and they specify the dates for the close of the electoral roll, nominations, polling day and the return of the writs.
The writs will be returned by the Electoral Commissioner after all results are declared, with the names of successful candidates published.
Key dates for the 2026 State Election
21 February 2026 – Writ issued
27 February 2026 – Close of Roll
2 March 2026 – Nominations close
21 March 2026 – Polling Day
The electoral roll will close on 27 February and people should enrol or update their enrolment details, particularly if they have moved in the past six months. People can enrol, update or check their enrolment on the ECSA website: ecsa.sa.gov.au
About the 2026 State Election
South Australians will elect 47 members of the House of Assembly and11 members of the Legislative Council at this year’s State Election.
The Electoral Commission of South Australia is responsible for administering the election, managing enrolment services and providing accessible voting options.
The Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) is an independent agency and aims to ensure that demands for electoral services and participation in the democratic processes have been met fairly, honestly and within the law.
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