2022 South Australian local elections

The 2022 South Australian local elections, also known as the periodic 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]

2022 South Australian local elections
12 November 2022
Registered1,243,661
TurnoutIncrease 1.60%
  First party Second party Third party
 
IND
Leader N/A Peter Malinauskas David Speirs
Party Independents Labor Liberal
Last election 552 seats 25 seats 38 seats
Seats before 560 24 34
Seats won 483 44 57
Seat change Decrease 67 Increase 19 Increase 23
Popular vote 54,425 37,218
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
NAT
AJP
Leader No leader No leader No leader
Party Greens National Animal Justice
Last election 4 seats 0 1
Seats before 4 0 1
Seats won 10 3 1
Seat change Increase 6 Increase 3 Steady
Popular vote 9,301 1,218 708

The elections were conducted by the Electoral Commission of South Australia.[1] Starting at these elections, roadside election corflutes were banned.[2]

The amount 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

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

CouncilWardCouncillorFormer partyNew partyDate
Marion Mayor Kris Hanna   SA-Best   Independent Post-November 2018
West Torrens Airport Jassmine Wood   SA-Best   Independent Post-November 2018
Port Lincoln Unsubdivided Andrea Broadfoot   Centre Alliance   Independent Post-May 2019
Barunga West Unsubdivided Rebecca Hewett   Conservatives   Independent 25 June 2019
Adelaide South Henry Davis   Liberal   Independent 19 March 2022
Port Pirie Unsubdivided Ali Gulin   Liberal   Independent 29 June 2022
Holdfast Bay Somerton William Miller   Liberal   Independent 30 June 2022
Streaky Bay Flinders Travis Barber   Liberal   Independent July 2022
Mount Gambier Unsubdivided Sonya Mezinec   Labor   Independent 30 July 2022

Elections timeline
  • 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

Council elections
Party Votes  % Swing Seats Change
  Independents 482 Decrease 70
  Labor 54,425 44 Increase 20
  Liberal 37,218 57 Increase 23
  Greens 9,301 10 Increase 6
  National 1,218 3 Increase 3
  Animal Justice 708 1 Steady
  Liberal Democrats 503 0 Steady
  One Nation 438 1 Increase 1
  Family First 302 0 Steady
 Total 429,617 100.00
 Registered voters / turnout 4,838,137 34.54 +1.60

Mayoral elections
Council Before Result after preference distribution
Mayor Party Party Candidate % Result
Adelaide Sandy Verschoor Independent Labor Jane Lomax-Smith 50.40 Labor gain
Rex Patrick Rex Patrick 49.60

Aftermath

After only 34.54% of eligible voters turned out for the elections, compared with 32.94% in 2018, SA-Best MP Frank 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]

Former senator Rex Patrick called for a recount in the Adelaide lord mayoral election, after he lost to Labor's Jane Lomax-Smith by 52 votes.[9]

The ECSA launched an investigation after Salisbury councillor Severina Burner offered voters to "fill in your ballots and hand them in".[10] She was later removed as a councillor in June 2023 for separate comments.[11]

By-elections

The ECSA held supplementary elections in March 2023 in 10 different LGAs to fill council seats that were left vacant following the 2022 elections.[12]

Council Ward Before Change Result after preference distribution
Councillor Party Cause Date Date Party Candidate %
Copper Coast Unsubdivided N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Matthew Stock 60.06
Independent Dominica Thomson 39.94
Kimba Unsubdivided N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Francene Francis 89.96
Independent Dianne McDonald 10.64
Kingston Mayor N/A N/A No nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Jeff Pope N/A
Elected unopposed
Mount Remarkable Willochra N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Liberal Dan van Holst Pellekaan 75.07
Independent Trevor Bornholm[lower-alpha 1] 10.63
Northern Areas Broughton N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Keith Pluckrose 59.55
Independent Brendan Fitzgerald 40.45
Robe Mayor N/A N/A No nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Liberal Lisa Ruffell N/A
Elected unopposed
Southern Mallee Unsubdivided N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Christopher Mead[lower-alpha 2] 36.67
Independent Campbell Michell[lower-alpha 2] 17.65
Independent David Smith[lower-alpha 2] 11.64
Independent Trevor Pocock[lower-alpha 2] 6.38
Independent Luke Kennedy[lower-alpha 2] 4.13
Streaky Bay Eyre N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Guy La China N/A
Elected unopposed
Tumby Bay Unsubdivided N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Julie Ann Elliott[lower-alpha 3] 35.86
Independent Trevor Smith[lower-alpha 3] 18.10
Independent Fiona Ward[lower-alpha 3] 12.07
Independent Ross Hudson[lower-alpha 3] 7.84
Kimba Unsubdivided N/A N/A Not enough nominations at 2022 election 12 November 2022 March 2023 Independent Dennis Petty 64.79
Independent Craig Walladge 35.21
Flinders Ranges Unsubdivided Clinton Ryks-Jones Independent Resignation 6 June 2023 24 July 2023 Independent Greg Flint 51.83
Independent Dave Wallis 48.17

Notes
  1. Second-placed on primary vote as the by-election did not require preference distribution.
  2. Five vacancies on council, meaning five candidates were elected - this shows their primary vote before preference distribution.
  3. Four vacancies on council, meaning five candidates were elected - this shows their primary vote before preference distribution.

References
  1. "Elections". Electoral Commission SA.
  2. "Corflutes banned from 2022 SA local government elections". The Advertiser.
  3. "2022 Council Elections Project". Local Government Association of South Australia.
  4. "About Roxby Council". Roxby Council.
  5. "Coober Pedy local council suspended over maladministration finding and rising debts". ABC News.
  6. "Council elections 2022: Calls for compulsory voting and reforms to stop national security threats".
  7. "'Voter fatigue': Call to reform local government election timing". InDaily.
  8. "Eight SA councils to go back to the polls are failing to find enough candidates". The Advertiser.
  9. "Rex Patrick to appeal against Adelaide lord mayoral election result over ballot concerns". ABC News.
  10. "Salisbury councillor Severina Burner under investigation by the Electoral Commission of SA". The Advertiser.
  11. "Salisbury councillors Grace Bawden, Severina Burner removed after special meeting". ABC News.
  12. "2023 supplementary council elections - timetable". Electoral Commission SA.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.