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South Australian Electoral Commission Reports Staff Pay Delays and Uncounted Ballots; Commissioner Resigns

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South Australia Election: ECSA Apologises for Payment Delays, Uncovers More Uncounted Ballots

The Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) has issued an apology after significant failures marred the March 21 state election, including delayed staff payments and the discovery of additional uncounted ballots. Commissioner Mick Sherry has resigned.

Staff Payment Delays

ECSA acknowledged that some staff had not been remunerated as scheduled, particularly those who worked on polling day. An official email to affected staff cited "unavoidable payroll processing delays and the Easter period" as the cause.

The commission is now working to ensure all payments are made promptly.

Frank Banks, a polling booth manager, reported he had not been paid and noted that some colleagues were relying on payment before the Easter long weekend.

Cameron Bridges, a polling booth assistant, worked approximately 13 hours on election day and expected several hundred dollars. He did not receive payment in the initial pay run, describing the uncertainty as "frustrating." Bridges also noted receiving key paperwork more than a week after election day.

Cassie Magin-Paul, a booth manager at Royal Park, stated she was not contacted about her role until 6pm on March 20, the night before polling day. She arrived with no training, receiving directions over the phone from ECSA staff. She was paid nearly a month after election day.

ECSA confirmed the cause of the payment delays will be included in a comprehensive review of the state election.

Uncounted Ballots Found—Second Discovery

ECSA reported finding additional uncounted ballot papers from the March 21 election. This was the second such discovery.

  • The ballots came from the electorates of Enfield and Newland, and included votes for both the House of Assembly and the Legislative Council.
  • South Australia's Attorney-General Kyam Maher stated the number of newly discovered votes is in the "order of dozens."
  • ECSA stated the votes "would not have affected any House of Assembly seat" and that the newly discovered upper house ballots will be included in the Legislative Council count, scheduled for finalization on May 1.
  • The previous discovery involved over 600 uncounted ballot papers from a pre-poll booth in Port Pirie. Approximately 80 of those were from the seat of Narungga. A subsequent count confirmed the victory of One Nation candidate Chantelle Thomas in that seat.

Broader Election Issues

The election experienced several logistical difficulties:

  • Technical glitches with the electronic electoral roll led to extended waiting times at polling stations.
  • Reports indicated understaffing at several polling booths.
  • Concerns were raised regarding the handling of the First Nations Voice to Parliament vote.

Statements from Officials

Acting Electoral Commissioner Leah McLay stated the commission's performance fell "well short" of community expectations:

"While the operational issues that have occurred have not affected the integrity of the election, I share the community's frustration with these unacceptable system failures."

McLay apologized to voters, candidates, and staff, and stated she has ordered internal investigations into operational systems that must be improved.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher described the discovery of additional ballots as "not good enough" and said he had asked ECSA to "triple-check everything."

"It doesn't affect the outcome of any result in the election, from what we know, but it is disappointing when these things happen. They shouldn't happen."

Maher confirmed the government remains committed to an independent review of the election process.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas observed more logistical challenges in this election compared to previous ones and suggested understaffing as a contributing factor.

Opposition Leader Ashton Hurn raised concerns about the time taken to declare results for some seats, questioning ECSA's resource allocation. Liberal Deputy Leader Josh Teague said the opposition supports the independent review.

One Nation SA leader Cory Bernardi called for a parliamentary inquiry, stating:

"The Electoral Commission has one job to do, and it was not done correctly."

Commissioner Resignation and Multiple Reviews

Mick Sherry, the Electoral Commissioner of South Australia, resigned effective late July. Attorney-General Maher stated that Sherry chose to step down voluntarily and did not comment on specific reasons.

Multiple reviews are underway or planned:

  • ECSA is conducting its own comprehensive review of the election event.
  • Former Australian electoral commissioner Tom Rogers has been appointed to lead an independent review of the management and oversight of the March polls.
  • The state government has committed to an independent review of the election to be conducted at "arm's length" from ECSA.

Local Council Election Delayed

The state government plans to introduce legislation to delay local council elections until April 2027, affecting 67 councils.

Acting Electoral Commissioner Leah McLay requested the delay, stating there would be insufficient time to implement recommended changes before the originally scheduled November 2024 elections. Attorney-General Maher said the government acted on advice that significant problems could plague local government elections.

If parliament does not pass the legislation, elections will proceed as scheduled in November.