YACSA's SA Voice to Parliament Election day guide!

The 16th of March is rapidly approaching, but where do you vote? What do you bring? How do you fill in the ballot paper? We've got the answers.

THE 5 STEP ELECTION DAY GUIDE.

From the moment you arrive, until the moment you leave, here's what to expect and what to do.

Step 1: Preparation

Firstly - have you enrolled to vote? Click here to make sure you're enrolled to vote.

WHERE CAN I VOTE?

• You can vote at any listed polling booth

• Polling booth locations may be different for early voting vs voting on the day - so make sure to check

If you are not going to be able to vote in person on the 16th, click here to find out about postal voting. If you want to use a postal vote you must apply for it by 5pm Friday 8 March.

WHAT DO I BRING?

All you need to bring is yourself!

Step 2: Queuing

When you arrive you will probably need to queue up to get inside.

The queue might be very long, so brace yourself and make sure you’re prepared for the weather if it’s going to be hot (or raining!)

Bonus YACSA tip:

We recommend sharing Smashed Avocado stories with people around you to pass the time.

Step 3: Ticking your name off

You will walk up to the official person at the desk.

They will find you on the electoral roll and cross off your name, give you your ballot paper, and send you on your way to a small, cardboard voting booth.

Bonus YACSA tip:

There's thousands of people in their book. It might take them a while to find your name. They've had a long day. Be nice to the election officials.

Step 4: Actually voting

For Voice Elections voters will get one ballot that has the candidates from within their region.

• Put a '1' in the box next to your favourite candidate.

• Put a '2' next to your second choice.

• Keep going until you’re out of boxes or don’t wish to give any more preferences.

• Note: you can number as many boxes as you like, but in order for your vote to be counted in these elections you need to indicate at least one preference. You can find our full post on how to vote in Voice Elections here.

You can find a practice ballot here.

If you make a mistake, you can always ask the official for a new sheet.

When you're done, check your ballot, fold it up, take it over to the ballot box and slide it in.

Step 5: Reward yourself

Well done! You have just democracy-ed (yes, we made that word up).

In fact, you’ve just democracy-ed in a way that’s never been done in Australia before - which is pretty cool!!

It's time to celebrate, we recommend a democracy sausage (or a fitting dietary alternative).

How to vote in SA Voice to Parliament Elections

Early voting for the South Australian Voice to Parliament has begun!!

These elections are the first of their kind, electing the first representatives to form the six Local Voices within the state - two representatives of which from each region will form the State Voice to Parliament

If you want more info on these elections - you can check out our previous post.

Given that this is the first time an election like this has been run, we thought we’d go over how exactly voting will work.

When you rock up to a polling location the process will be much the same as any other State or Federal election.

You’ll queue up to get inside and a polling booth worker will ask for your name to find you on the electoral roll in front of them.

They’ll confirm your details and give you a ballot for the region you’re enrolled in, which they’ll inital in the circle in the top left corner, and a pencil.

They’ll then give you instructions on how to fill out your ballot correctly, and send you over to a booth to cast your vote.

The ballots look slightly different from region to region - they’re all formatted like the example ballot below, but each is a different colour and length (depending on the amount of candidates).

Image: Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA)

How do I fill out the ballot?

In SA Voice Elections you vote by numbering the candidates according to your preference - with ‘1’ being the candidate you would most like to have represent you. You can number as many boxes as you like, but in order for your vote to be counted you need to indicate at least one preference.

(This is called preferential voting - which is what we use within Australia for State, Federal and Local Government elections. Numbering more than one box means that if your most preffered candidate doesn’t get enough votes, yours will transfer to your second preference!)

As always, we encourage you to have a look at your ballot once you’ve filled in the boxes to make sure you haven’t doubled up or missed any numbers to ensure all your preferences can be counted!

Then, just like other in person elections, you’ll fold your ballot and pop it in a ballot box on your way out!

If you want to see what the ballot for your region looks like ahead of time, have a look on the Electoral Commission of South Australia’s website.

SA Voice to Parliament Elections

What is the SA First Nations Voice to Parliament Election? 

In 2023 Legislation to establish a Voice to Parliament in SA has passed both houses in South Australian Parliament. Elections were held off until now because there were concerns this process would create confusion if it ran during the federal voice referendum. 

Candidates will be elected to represent six regions across the state and two members from each of these local groups will then form the State First Nations Voice.  

The Local First Nations Voice groups will have a focus on local issues working with organisations and local government within the region.  

The State First Nations Voice will be able to present to both houses of Parliament and are entitled to be heard on Bills. They will also engage with Government through Ministers and Chief Executives of Government departments. 

Who can vote? 

As the Voice is a representative body for First Nations people in SA, only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are eligible to vote and run as a candidate in these elections. 

In order to vote you must be a First Nations person enrolled on the electoral roll by 5pm on 12 February.  

You can enrol and check your enrolment details via the Australian Electoral Commission. If you’ve voted in state or federal elections, or a referendum before then you’re already enrolled. 

If you’re interested in running as a candidate, you can find more information on the nomination process and eligibility here. 

Why should I vote? 

The basis of the Voice is that the elected members will represent their local communities, so to do that they must first be elected by their communities! 

When and where do I vote? 

Polling day will be held on Saturday 16 March 2024.  

As always, if you’re unable to get there on election day there will be early voting centers open from 6 March – 15 March or you can apply for a postal vote closer to the elections. 

Mobile polling will also be conducted in regional and remote communities beginning 4 March. 

Just like other state and federal elections, and referendums, there will be polling locations across the state. These locations and options will all be listed ahead of time. 

You can find out more about the elections and the SA First Nations Voice to Parliament from the Electoral Commission of South Australia – they've got written, visual and video resources in both English and Pitjantjatjara.