State Electoral Office
Encyclopedia
The Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) in South Australia
, a state of Australia
, is an independent office which conducts parliamentary state elections
every 4 years and is also responsible for the compulsory re-drawing of South Australian House of Assembly electoral districts
before each election. The office is led by electoral commissioner Kay Mousley
. The electoral commission was the first electoral administration in the world to utilise computer technology to produce an electoral roll, the first prototype roll scanner, and the development and use of cardboard ballot boxes and voting compartments.
In 1907 the then State Electoral Department was established to administer all South Australian parliamentary elections. Since that time more than 120 parliamentary elections, by-elections and referendums have been conducted by this Office. The State Electoral Commissioner was first empowered to conduct miscellaneous elections in 1980 and later in 1990 the Attorney-General gave approval for the Commissioner to be appointed Returning Officer for Local Government elections when requested. In 1999 the Electoral Commissioner was appointed Returning Officer for all Local Government elections.
After the 1989 election
, electoral boundaries for lower house seats were legislated to be specifically redistributed by the ECSA in attempts to pursue a fair outcome, being that based on the latest election outcome would see whoever wins more than 50 percent of the two party preferred vote forms government. The gerrymander known as the Playmander
ended during LCL
Steele Hall
's premiership in the late 1960s, with a fairer but not as comprehensive system as from 1989.
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, a state of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, is an independent office which conducts parliamentary state elections
South Australian legislative elections
This is a list of state elections in South Australia for the Parliament of South Australia.-See also:* South Australian House of Assembly* Non-party premiers 1857–1890* List of South Australian state by-elections...
every 4 years and is also responsible for the compulsory re-drawing of South Australian House of Assembly electoral districts
South Australian House of Assembly electoral districts
Since 1970, the South Australian House of Assembly has consisted of 47 single-member electoral districts consisting of approximately the same number of enrolled voters...
before each election. The office is led by electoral commissioner Kay Mousley
Kay Mousley
Kay Mousley is the Electoral Commissioner for the Electoral Commission of South Australia. She is the first woman to hold the post and had previously worked for 25 years for the Australian Electoral Commission rising to the head of that agency in South Australia...
. The electoral commission was the first electoral administration in the world to utilise computer technology to produce an electoral roll, the first prototype roll scanner, and the development and use of cardboard ballot boxes and voting compartments.
In 1907 the then State Electoral Department was established to administer all South Australian parliamentary elections. Since that time more than 120 parliamentary elections, by-elections and referendums have been conducted by this Office. The State Electoral Commissioner was first empowered to conduct miscellaneous elections in 1980 and later in 1990 the Attorney-General gave approval for the Commissioner to be appointed Returning Officer for Local Government elections when requested. In 1999 the Electoral Commissioner was appointed Returning Officer for all Local Government elections.
After the 1989 election
South Australian state election, 1989
State elections were held in Australia on November 25, 1989. All 47 seats in the South Australian House of Assembly were up for election. The incumbent Australian Labor Party led by Premier of South Australia John Bannon defeated the Liberal Party of Australia led by Leader of the Opposition John...
, electoral boundaries for lower house seats were legislated to be specifically redistributed by the ECSA in attempts to pursue a fair outcome, being that based on the latest election outcome would see whoever wins more than 50 percent of the two party preferred vote forms government. The gerrymander known as the Playmander
Playmander
The Playmander was a form of electoral malapportionment in the Australian state of South Australia, in place from 1936 to 1968. It consisted of rural districts enjoying a 2-to-1 advantage in the state parliament, even though they contained less than half of the population, as well as a change from...
ended during LCL
Liberal and Country League
The Liberal and Country League was a major political party in South Australia throughout its forty year existence. Thirty-four years were spent in government, in part due to the electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, introduced after coming to power.Created on 9 June 1932 as the...
Steele Hall
Steele Hall
Raymond Steele Hall was the 36th Premier of South Australia 1968-70, a senator for South Australia 1974-77, and federal member for the Division of Boothby 1981-96.-Biography:...
's premiership in the late 1960s, with a fairer but not as comprehensive system as from 1989.