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2022 South Australian local elections

For the state election held in March, see 2022 South Australian state election.

2022 South Australian local elections

← 2018 12 November 2022 2026 →
Registered	1,243,661
Turnout	1.60%

The 2022 South Australian local elections were held on 12 November 2022 to elect the councils of 66 of the 68 local government areas (LGAs) in South Australia. Many councils also held mayoral elections.^[1]

The elections were conducted by the Electoral Commission of South Australia. Starting at these elections, roadside election corflutes were banned.^[2]

The number of people on the electoral roll increased from 1,208,858 at the 2018 elections to 1,243,661 in 2022.^[3]

As per usual, no election was scheduled in Roxby Council as it is served by an administrator who performs all the functions of a council.^[4] The election in Coober Pedy was not held as the council had been suspended in January 2019.^[5]

Party changes before elections[edit]

A number of councillors joined or left parties before the 2022 elections.

Elections timeline[edit]

• 29 July – Close of electoral roll
• 23 August – Nominations open
• 6 September – Nominations close
• 14–20 October – Mailout of ballot papers to voters
• 10 November – Close of voting
• 12 November – Vote counting begins

Results[edit]

Aftermath[edit]

After only 34.54% of eligible voters turned out for the elections, compared with 32.94% in 2018, SA-BestMPFrank Pangallo called for compulsory voting and a requirement that all voters must be Australian citizens.^[6] There were also calls to reform the timing of local elections so that they don't occur in the same year as the state election.^[7]

As a result of 16 vacancies not filled at the elections, eight separate councils were forced to hold supplementary elections in 2023.^[8]

On 15 December 2022, unsuccessful lord mayoral candidate Rex Patrick appealed the results with a petition in the Court of Disputed Returns and requested the lord mayoral and Central Ward elections in Adelaide be declared invalid.^[9]

One Nation had their first local election victory in SA, with Carlos Quaremba elected as a councillor in Victor Harbor.^[10]

The ECSA launched an investigation after Salisbury candidate and councillor Severina Burner offered voters to "fill in your ballots and hand them in".^[11] She was later removed as a councillor in June 2023 for separate comments.^[12]

By-elections and countbacks[edit]

By-elections[edit]

The ECSA held supplementary elections in March 2023 in 10 different LGAs to fill council seats that were left vacant following the 2022 elections.^[13]

Countbacks[edit]

See also[edit]

• 2022 Adelaide City Council election

Notes[edit]

References[edit]