Elections

Local Government is an important part of Australia’s democratic system. Local Government works together with State and Commonwealth spheres of government in a way that impacts on our every day lives, and is an elected system of government directly accountable to the local community.

Campaign Donations and Expenses Returns

Under the provisions of the City of Adelaide Act 1998, each candidate in an election must submit to the Chief Executive Officer a Campaign Donations Return and Campaign Expenditure Return. These returns are then required to be made available to the public.

2010 Candidates Campaign Donations and Expenses Returns (PDF, 10Mb)

Dates for Election 2014

To nominate as a candidate or be eligible to vote, you must be on the Council voters roll before close of rolls. Intending candidates must submit a completed nomination form during the nomination period. If you vote in State Government elections you will already be on the voting roll.

Close of rolls		Early to Mid August 2014
Nominations to stand as a candidate	Open	Early September 2014
Nominations to stand	Close	Mid to Late September 2014
2010 Ballot Packs mailed out		Late October 2014
Close of voting		Mid November 2014
Vote count		Mid November 2014

For Voters

Local Government elections provide an opportunity to elect representatives who aspire, through the decisions they will be empowered to make on our behalf, to the best possible contribution to effective local government.

There will be an Adelaide City Council Election in 2014. To be able to vote you must make sure you are eligible and registered .

All previously enrolled business and non-resident property owners in the Adelaide City Council areas and those enrolled on the House of Assembly roll were automatically re-enrolled on the Adelaide City Council's voters roll.

Voting in Council elections is conducted on the basis of postal voting. Voting papers can be posted back in the supplied reply paid envelope, or placed in the ballot box at Adelaide City Council, 25 Pirie Street, Adelaide. Voting will close at 5pm on a date to be specified by the Electoral Commissioner.

Ballot papers will be delivered to the enrolled address towards the end of October 2014. If you do not receive your ballot papers by early November 2014, please contact the Electoral Commission on 1300 655 232 to arrange for ballot papers to be re-issued. In the last week of voting ballot papers can be re-issued in person at Adelaide City Council, 25 Pirie Street, Adelaide.

There are a total of five different elections - Lord Mayor, Area Councillor, North Ward Councillor, Central Ward Councillor and South Ward Councillor.

For your vote to be valid, you are required to number at least as many boxes on the ballot papers as there are vacancies for that election, in order of your preference.

● Number up to at least one box on the Lord Mayor ballot paper, as there is one position vacant in that election (white ballot paper);
● Number up to at least five boxes (1 to 5) on the Area Councillors ballot paper, as there are five positions vacant in that election (purple ballot paper); and
● Number up to at least two boxes (1 to 2) on the Ward Councillor ballot paper, as there are two positions vacant in that election (Ward 1, North Ward, yellow ballot paper; Ward 2, Central Ward, pink ballot paper; Ward 3, South Ward, aqua green ballot paper).

An individual can only vote once in each election. If you own multiple businesses or properties or have more than one voting entitlement, you can only vote in each election once. Even if you are a resident and a business owner, you can still only vote once in each election.

If you have an entitlement as an elector in your own right (as an individual), you cannot get anyone else to vote on your behalf.

If you are a resident and a business owner, you should complete the ballot material received as a resident, as someone else involved in the management of the business can exercise that vote on your behalf.

The declaration must remain on the envelope for the vote to be counted, voters should not remove this. The declaration must be completed and signed by the eligible voter. In the case of an individual, this must be the person whose name appears on the ballot pack. In the case of a group, this must be a member of that group or an officer of a body corporate that is a member of the group. In the case of a body corporate, this must be an officer of that body corporate.

In the Adelaide City Council elections, an officer of a body corporate is entitled to vote on behalf of the body corporate, as opposed to a nominated person for all other Councils. An officer of a body corporate means a director, manager, secretary or public officer of the body corporate and includes any other person who takes part in the management of the affairs of the body corporate.

About the Candidates

The LGA candidates website has been established by the Local Government Association of SA (LGA) under section 19A of the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 to provide the opportunity for each candidate nominating for Council election in 2010 to have a presence on the internet.

Candidates will be able to register their details on the website and provide a Candidate Statement up to approximately 750 words from 9am on Wednesday 22 September - 5pm on Tuesday 28 September, via the following link:

The website will publish information about all candidates in the 2010 Council elections, and will be available to the public to view by 5 October 2010.

Candidates are encouraged to use the LG Candidates Website to provide additional information about themselves to help electors make an informed vote, whilst electors are encouraged to use the site to find out more about who is standing in their Council elections.