Council Elections

To vote or nominate for council, you must be enrolled on the South Australian electoral roll.

It only takes a minute to enrol or update your details before the close of roll at 5:00pm, Monday 4 January 2027.

Checking your enrolment status:

If you are correctly enrolled for state elections in South Australia, you will receive a ballot pack from the Electoral Commission SA to vote for your local council.

You can check your current electoral enrolment by contacting the council you enrolled with or via Electoral Commission SA (ECSA) on 1300 655 232.

If you are a non-resident sole owner/occupier, business, organisation or a group of owners/occupiers contact your council to determine if you are eligible.

Enrol to vote through the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC).

Australian Electoral Commission

For first-time voters:

There are three different forms you can use to enrol to vote in council elections. These forms can be found on your local council website.
Unsure of your council area? Use the Find my Council map.

1. Natural Person: For a non-resident owner/occupier who owns property in the Council area; is the only owner/occupier (tenant) and does not live or occupy that property.
   Download Form 1
2. Body Corporate: For sole business owners or sole occupiers who occupy any type of rateable property in a council area and on the assessment record at the Council.
   Download Form 2
3. Group Owners/Occupiers: For residents whose property is jointly owned or occupied by businesses, individual persons or a combination of both.
   Download Form 3

Becoming a councillor is an opportunity to contribute positively to your community. It's a rewarding and challenging role which requires commitment, responsibility and accountability.

The Mayor and Councillors receive an annual allowance and are elected for a 4-year term.

Eligibility to nominate for Council

You can nominate for council no matter your qualifications, religion, race, gender, work or life experience, or profession.

If you’re an Australian citizen, over 18, and enrolled to vote in the Council area, you’re likely to be eligible to nominate.

Deciding to nominate for Council

Not sure if becoming a Councillor is right for you? A candidate handbook and a free online course are available to give you an introduction to what councils do, the roles and responsibilities of Council Members and how to be an effective community leader.

How to nominate

Nominating involves completing a nomination form and preparing a candidate profile.

Learn how to prepare and submit your nomination on the Council Elections website.

Nominations open on 26 January 2027, and close at midday on 9 February 2027.

Running your campaign

Candidates can campaign to share their background, priorities and ideas with voters and encourage them to vote.

Campaigning must follow South Australian electoral laws and council election rules, including requirements around authorisations, donations and advertising. Donation disclosure returns are required at prescribed times.

Campaign material must be accurate and properly authorised.

Learn more about running your campaign and preparing election materials on the Council Elections website.

Campaign laws and regulations

When planning and running your campaign, your electoral material must comply with relevant legislation and regulations.

Learn more about campaign laws and regulations on the Council Elections website.

Voting is your chance to influence how your community grows, changes, and is supported over the next four years.

Voting in council elections isn’t compulsory - but your community is worth it.

How to vote

Voting in council elections is by post or, if you are eligible, by telephone. This makes elections easy and convenient for anyone to cast their vote.

All enrolled voters will receive their voting ballot pack in the mail between Thursday 11 March and Wednesday 17 March 2027. It will be sent to the postal address recorded on your enrolment.

Complete your vote and return your ballot papers by mail in the reply-paid envelope. The Electoral Commission SA's address is pre-printed on the reply-paid envelope. Learn more about how to vote on the  Council Elections website.

Your ballot must arrive prior to the voting close date of 5pm on Wednesday 7 April 2027. It's recommended that you post your vote as early as possible.

Unable to vote

There may be instances where you're unable to receive your ballot pack or mail your ballot pack to cast your vote. However, you may still be able to vote in your council election.

Learn more about being unable to vote on the  Council Elections website.

Voting for the local government elections closed at 5pm on Thursday 10 November 2022 and the Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) confirmed results on Friday 18 November 2022.

Council Members

Results for the 2022 council elections can be viewed on the ECSA website.