Date: 25 June 2026
South Australia’s local government elections will be held in April 2027 rather than November this year, after urgent legislation passed both houses of state parliament today.
The upper house passed the bill with ten members in favour and seven against. Labor and the Greens supported the delay; the Liberal Party and One Nation voted against it, reports InDaily SA.
The legislation moves polling day from 11 November 2026 to 7 April 2027 — a six-month deferral. It also permanently shifts future council elections to an alternative year to state elections, a reform the Electoral Commission had been calling for since 2006.
The delay was sought by Acting Electoral Commissioner Leah McLay, who asked parliament to act following difficulties in the conduct of the recent state election, which remains under review. McLay sought the deferral to prevent those problems from affecting the administration of council elections.
Labor member Mira El Dannawi acknowledged the weight of the decision. “We understand it is a significant thing to ask South Australians to accept the delay in the exercise of their democratic rights, and for existing councils to serve a further five months,” she said, but argued the complexity of running elections across 67 councils and more than 600 positions made the case for the deferral.
The Greens supported the bill reluctantly, with leader Rob Simms indicating the party had reservations but backed the legislation.
Opposition concerns centred on timing and accountability. Liberal shadow treasurer Ben Hood warned the legislation risked “kicking the can down the road,” and noted that April falls in the middle of council budget preparations, creating potential practical difficulties. One Nation’s Carlos Quaremba opposed the bill outright, questioning why the Electoral Commission was unable to administer a regular four-yearly event.
Deputy Premier Kyam Maher pointed to precedent, noting the City of Adelaide’s 2006 elections had also been delayed in comparable circumstances.
The delay means incumbent elected members across South Australia’s 67 councils will continue in their roles until the rescheduled poll. The April 2027 date will also establish the new permanent cycle for council elections going forward.
Further reading: InDaily — Final call on council election delay, 25 June 2026