{"id":"local-government-elections-regulations-2025","name":"Local Government (Elections) Regulations 2025","slug":"local-government-elections-regulations-2025","collection":"regulation","jurisdiction":"sa","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":236102,"registerId":"sa-local-government-elections-regulations-2025-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-06","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Local Government (Elections) Regulations 2025","content":"South Australia\nLocal Government (Elections) Regulations 2025\nunder the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999\n\nContents\nPart 1—Preliminary\n1\tShort title\n3\tInterpretation\nPart 2—Elections and polls\n4\tFilling vacancy in certain circumstances\n5\tDeclaration of eligibility\n6\tManner in which nominations are made\n7\tBallot papers for elections\n8\tBallot papers for polls\n9\tNotice of use of postal voting\n10\tIssue of postal voting papers\n11\tAssisted voting—preliminary\n12\tTelephone assisted voting method\n13\tCollation of certain information\n14\tFilling vacancy if successful candidate dies\n15\tBribery\n16\tTransitional provision for gifts received\n17\tConduct of council during election period\nSchedule 1—Prescribed forms\nLegislative history\n\nPart 1—Preliminary\n1—Short title\nThese regulations may be cited as the Local Government (Elections) Regulations 2025.\n3—Interpretation\n\t(1)\tIn these regulations—\nAct means the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999.\n\t(2)\tIn these regulations, a reference to a form of a particular number is a reference to the form of that number set out in Schedule 1.\nPart 2—Elections and polls\n4—Filling vacancy in certain circumstances\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of section 6A(2)(a) of the Act—\n\t(a)\tthe returning officer must contact each candidate who was not elected in the most recent election for the relevant office or the designated supplementary election referred to in section 6(2)(c)(ii)(B) of the Act (as the case requires) to request that the candidate make a declaration under paragraph (b); and\n\t(b)\ta candidate may, within the relevant period and in a form determined by the returning officer, make a declaration that they are still willing and eligible to be elected to the relevant office (an eligible candidate); and\n\t(c)\tif, after the relevant period—\n\t(i)\tthere is 1 eligible candidate—that candidate will be determined to fill the vacancy; or\n\t(ii)\tthere is more than 1 eligible candidate—the returning officer must determine which of the eligible candidates will fill the vacancy or vacancies by recounting the votes in accordance with—\n\t(A)\tif there is 1 vacancy—section 48(1a) of the Act as modified by subregulation (2); or\n\t(B)\tif there is more than 1 vacancy—section 48(1) of the Act as modified by subregulation (2).\n\t(2)\tFor the purposes of a recount under subregulation (1), section 48 of the Act is modified as follows:\n\t(a)\ta vote indicated on a ballot paper opposite the name of the candidate in whose office the vacancy occurred will be counted to the eligible candidate next in order of the voter's preference;\n\t(b)\tin addition, a vote indicated on a ballot paper opposite the name of a candidate who is not an eligible candidate will be counted to the eligible candidate next in order of the voter's preference;\n\t(c)\tafter the returning officer gives effect to paragraphs (a) and (b), the numbers indicating subsequent preferences on the relevant ballot papers will be taken to have been altered accordingly;\n\t(d)\ta reference in section 48 to a candidate will be taken to be a reference to an eligible candidate.\n\t(3)\tTo avoid doubt, a recount under subregulation (1) does not affect the election of any other member according to the votes actually cast at the election.\n\t(4)\tA declaration under section 6A(2)(c)(i) of the Act will be taken to be a provisional declaration and a candidate (not being a successful candidate) may request a recount on the basis of this declaration in the manner contemplated by section 49 of the Act and the returning officer may then take such action that may be appropriate in the manner contemplated by section 50 of the Act.\n\t(5)\tFor the purposes of section 6A(2)(c)(ii) of the Act, the returning officer must determine the next successful candidate in such manner as the returning officer sees fit.\n\t(6)\tTo avoid doubt, for the purposes of this regulation, a reference to an eligible candidate in relation to a recount does not include a reference to a candidate who is, immediately before the commencement of the recount, an elected member of the council.\n\t(7)\tIn this regulation—\nrelevant period means the period determined by the returning officer.\n5—Declaration of eligibility\nFor the purposes of section 8(2)(b) of the Act, the prescribed form for a declaration of eligibility is set out as Form 1.\n6—Manner in which nominations are made\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of section 19(1) of the Act, a form nominating a person as a candidate for election to an office of a council (being a form determined by the Electoral Commissioner) must be delivered to the returning officer before the close of nominations.\n\t(2)\tFor the purposes of section 19(2)(b) of the Act, the following requirements are prescribed with respect to a profile:\n\t(a)\tthe profile must be in typed or printed form;\n\t(b)\tthe profile must not, subject to subregulation (3), exceed 1 000 characters;\n\t(c)\tthe profile must be accurate and must not—\n\t(i)\tbe misleading; or\n\t(ii)\tcontain offensive or obscene material; or\n\t(iii)\trefer to another person who has nominated as a candidate for election to the council (whether at the same election or any other election to be held on the same day) without the written consent of that person; or\n\t(iv)\tcomment on decisions or actions that have been made or taken by the council or on the decisions or actions of past or present members of the council;\n\t(d)\tthe profile must contain contact details of the candidate being—\n\t(i)\tan address (not being a post office box); or\n\t(ii)\tan email address; or\n\t(iii)\ta telephone number;\n\t(e)\tthe profile must contain a statement as to whether the candidate lives in the area or ward of the council in which the candidate is nominating for election;\n\t(f)\tthe profile must contain the following information:\n\t(i)\twhether the candidate is, at the time of their nomination, or was, at any time in the 12 months preceding their nomination, a member of a registered political party (within the meaning of the Electoral Act 1985);\n\t(ii)\tif the candidate is or was a member of a registered political party in accordance with subparagraph (i)—\n\t(A)\tthe name of the party; and\n\t(B)\twhen the candidate ceased to be a member of the party (if relevant).\n\t(3)\tThe contact details, statement and information provided under subregulation (2)(d), (e) and (f) (respectively) are excluded from the 1 000 character limit imposed by subregulation (2)(b) and the operation of subregulation (4).\n\t(4)\tSubject to subregulation (3), if—\n\t(a)\ta profile submitted with a nomination form exceeds 1 000 characters; and\n\t(b)\tthe candidate has not reduced the size of the profile to 1 000 characters or less by the close of nominations,\nthe returning officer will exclude from the profile all characters appearing after the 1 000th character.\n\t(5)\tThe profile must (in accordance with section 19(2)(c) of the Act) be accompanied by a statement declaring that the candidate is responsible for the content of the profile and such statement must be signed and dated by the candidate.\n\t(6)\tThe returning officer is not responsible for checking the accuracy of any information included in a profile and the returning officer bears no liability with respect to the publication of a profile under the Act and these regulations.\n\t(7)\tA written consent required under subregulation (2)(c)(iii) must be lodged with the profile.\n\t(8)\tNothing in subregulation (2)(c) prevents a profile including declarations of public policy or promises of public action.\n\t(9)\tFor the purposes of section 19(3) of the Act, the following requirements are prescribed with respect to a photograph provided with a profile:\n\t(a)\tunless otherwise approved by the returning officer, the photograph must be the same size as an Australian passport photograph;\n\t(b)\tthe photograph must only (or predominantly) show the head and shoulders of the candidate;\n\t(c)\tthe photograph must have been taken within the preceding period of 12 months;\n\t(d)\tthe photograph must, in a manner determined by the Electoral Commissioner, be endorsed by the candidate to the effect that the photograph is a photograph of the candidate that has been taken within the preceding 12 months.\n7—Ballot papers for elections\nPursuant to section 29(5) of the Act, a ballot paper for an election—\n\t(a)\tmust be in a form determined by the Electoral Commissioner; and\n\t(b)\tmust—\n\t(i)\tidentify the council, and the election to which it relates; and\n\t(ii)\tinclude directions to voters as to how to record a valid vote.\n8—Ballot papers for polls\n\t(1)\tPursuant to section 33(3) of the Act, a ballot paper for a poll must contain—\n\t(a)\ta statement of the proposition being submitted to electors at the poll; and\n\t(b)\t2 squares—\n\t(i)\t1 clearly indicated as the square to be marked by a person who is in favour of the proposition being submitted to electors at the poll; and\n\t(ii)\t1 clearly indicated as the square to be marked by a person who is against the proposition being submitted to electors at the poll.\n\t(2)\tThe statement under subregulation (1)(a) will be determined by the relevant council after consultation with the returning officer.\n9—Notice of use of postal voting\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of section 38 of the Act, information to the following effect is prescribed:\n\t(a)\tthat the specified election or poll will be conducted entirely by means of postal voting and that no polling booth will be open for voting on polling day;\n\t(b)\tthat voting papers will be issued by post to every natural person, body corporate and group who or which has his, her or its name on the voters roll to be used for the purposes of the election or poll or, at the discretion of the returning officer, by personal delivery to potential voters at certain locations;\n\t(c)\tthat the voting papers being issued by post should be delivered to natural persons, bodies corporate and groups on the voters roll not later than a date specified by the returning officer1;\n\t(d)\tthat a person who does not receive voting papers but who believes that he or she is entitled to exercise a vote at the election or poll may take specified steps to apply for voting papers.\n\t(2)\tA notice under section 38 of the Act may include other information which may, in the opinion of the returning officer, assist prospective voters to understand the postal voting system and processes under the Act and to participate in the election or poll.\nNote—\n1\tThis date must be consistent with section 39(1) of the Act.\n10—Issue of postal voting papers\n\t(1)\tPursuant to section 39(3) of the Act, envelopes used under section 39(1) for ballot papers sent by post must have an extension to a flap on the back of the envelope that bears the name and address of—\n\t(a)\tthe natural person to whom the voting papers are issued; or\n\t(b)\tin the case of papers issued to a body corporate or group—the designated person for the body corporate or group.\n\t(2)\tFor the purposes of section 39(6) of the Act, an explanatory notice will be prepared by the returning officer and must outline the steps which a voter must follow in order to comply with the requirements of section 40 of the Act.\n11—Assisted voting—preliminary\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of section 41A(2)(a) of the Act, the voting method by means of the telephone assisted voting method set out in regulation 12 is determined to be an assisted voting method that may be used by prescribed electors.\n\t(2)\tFor the purposes of section 41A(2)(a)(ii) of the Act, the returning officer is to determine, by notice in the Gazette, the days and times at which the telephone assisted voting method is to be made available and the telephone number for the telephone assisted voting method.\n\t(3)\tIn accordance with section 41A(2)(f) of the Act, postal voting papers issued under regulation 12(1)(c) to a prescribed elector voting using the telephone assisted voting method will, for the purposes of the Act, be taken to be fresh voting papers issued under section 43 of the Act (and section 43(4) of the Act does not apply to the issue of such papers).\n\t(4)\tFor the purposes of the definition of prescribed elector in section 41A(8) of the Act, an elector—\n\t(a)\twho is outside South Australia during any part of the period commencing on the day falling 28 days before polling day for an election and ending at the close of voting for the election; and\n\t(b)\twho, during that period, calls the telephone number determined under subregulation (2) from outside South Australia,\nis prescribed.\n12—Telephone assisted voting method\n\t(1)\tThe telephone assisted voting method by which a prescribed elector may vote is as follows:\n\t(a)\tthe prescribed elector is to call the telephone number determined under regulation 11(2) (on a day and at a time at which the telephone assisted voting method is available) and—\n\t(i)\tverify their identity to an electoral officer in accordance with any requirements of the returning officer; and\n\t(ii)\tconfirm to the electoral officer that the person—\n\t(A)\tis entitled to vote in the election; and\n\t(B)\tis a prescribed elector who is eligible to vote by means of the telephone assisted voting method set out in this regulation; and\n\t(iii)\tbe assigned a unique identifying number;\n\t(b)\tthe electoral officer who receives the telephone call from the prescribed elector must then transfer the call to an electoral officer before whom the prescribed elector's vote is to be taken (a voting assistant) and must communicate the unique identifying number assigned to the prescribed elector to the voting assistant in accordance with any requirements of the returning officer;\n\t(c)\tthe voting assistant must issue fresh postal voting papers for the purposes of the prescribed elector voting using the telephone assisted voting method;\n\t(d)\tif requested to do so, the voting assistant must read aloud the contents of the postal voting papers issued under paragraph (c), including material of a kind referred to in section 39(6) of the Act accompanying those papers;\n\t(e)\tin relation to each ballot paper to which the prescribed elector is entitled, if the prescribed elector instructs the voting assistant as to the manner in which they seek to have the ballot paper marked, the voting assistant must—\n\t(i)\tmark the prescribed elector's ballot paper in accordance with their instructions; and\n\t(ii)\tread the prescribed elector's voting preferences back to the prescribed elector;\n\t(f)\tthe voting assistant must then—\n\t(i)\tfold the ballot paper so as to conceal the vote, place the folded ballot paper in an envelope bearing a declaration of a kind referred to in section 39(1)(b) of the Act (a declaration envelope) and seal the envelope; and\n\t(ii)\tcomplete and sign the appropriate declaration on the declaration envelope on the prescribed elector's behalf; and\n\t(iii)\tplace the declaration envelope in a ballot box that the returning officer has determined is to be used for the purposes of the telephone assisted voting method;\n\t(g)\tthe voting assistant may give such other assistance as may be necessary in the circumstances to enable the prescribed elector to vote using the telephone assisted voting method;\n\t(h)\tanother electoral officer (who must not be the person who transfers the telephone call to the voting assistant under paragraph (b)) must—\n\t(i)\tlisten to the entire telephone communication between the prescribed elector and the voting assistant; and\n\t(ii)\twitness the marking of the prescribed elector's ballot paper in accordance with the prescribed elector's instructions.\n\t(2)\tThe returning officer must ensure that the telephone assisted voting method is such that the voting assistant and electoral officer referred to in subregulation (1)(h) in respect of a prescribed elector voting using the method cannot hear that part of the prescribed elector's telephone call referred to in subregulation (1)(a).\n\t(3)\tAs soon as practicable after the close of voting, the returning officer must ensure that ballot boxes referred to in subregulation (1)(f) are delivered to the location determined by the returning officer and made available for inclusion in the scrutiny and count of votes in accordance with the Act (and for that purpose the voting papers in the ballot boxes are to be treated as if they were returned in accordance with the Act).\n13—Collation of certain information\nFor the purposes of section 51(1a) of the Act, a return must show, in relation to the relevant election—\n\t(a)\tthe number of ballot papers printed for the election; and\n\t(b)\tthe number of ballot papers issued on the basis of names on the voters roll; and\n\t(c)\tthe number of ballot papers issued on the basis of names declared to have been omitted in error from the voters roll; and\n\t(d)\tthe number of ballot papers replaced due to the re‑issue of voting papers; and\n\t(e)\tthe number of declaration envelopes accepted at the count; and\n\t(f)\tthe number of declaration envelopes rejected at the count; and\n\t(g)\tthe number of declaration envelopes returned because they have not been able to be effectively delivered; and\n\t(h)\tthe number of ballot papers removed from envelopes accepted at the count; and\n\t(i)\tthe number of ballot papers included in the count; and\n\t(j)\tthe number of ballot papers rejected as informal.\n14—Filling vacancy if successful candidate dies\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of section 55A(2)(a) of the Act—\n\t(a)\tthe returning officer must contact each candidate who was not elected in the most recent election for the relevant office to request that the candidate make a declaration under paragraph (b); and\n\t(b)\ta candidate may, within the relevant period and in a form determined by the returning officer, make a declaration that they are still willing and eligible to be elected to the relevant office (an eligible candidate); and\n\t(c)\tif, after the relevant period—\n\t(i)\tthere is 1 eligible candidate—that candidate will be determined to fill the vacancy; or\n\t(ii)\tthere is more than 1 eligible candidate—the returning officer must determine which of the eligible candidates will fill the vacancy by recounting the votes in accordance with section 48(1a) of the Act as modified by subregulation (2).\n\t(2)\tFor the purposes of a recount under subregulation (1), section 48 of the Act is modified as follows:\n\t(a)\ta vote indicated on a ballot paper opposite the name of the candidate in whose office the vacancy occurred will be counted to the eligible candidate next in order of the voter's preference;\n\t(b)\tin addition, a vote indicated on a ballot paper opposite the name of a candidate who is not an eligible candidate will be counted to the eligible candidate next in order of the voter's preference;\n\t(c)\tafter the returning officer gives effect to paragraphs (a) and (b), the numbers indicating subsequent preferences on the relevant ballot papers will be taken to have been altered accordingly;\n\t(d)\ta reference in section 48 to a candidate will be taken to be a reference to an eligible candidate.\n\t(3)\tTo avoid doubt, a recount under subregulation (1) does not affect the election of any other member according to the votes actually cast at the election.\n\t(4)\tA declaration under section 55A(2)(c)(i) of the Act will be taken to be a provisional declaration and a candidate (not being a successful candidate) may request a recount on the basis of this declaration in the manner contemplated by section 49 of the Act and the returning officer may then take such action that may be appropriate in the manner contemplated by section 50 of the Act.\n\t(5)\tFor the purposes of section 55A(2)(c)(ii) of the Act, the returning officer must determine the next successful candidate in such manner as the returning officer sees fit.\n\t(6)\tTo avoid doubt, for the purposes of this regulation, a reference to an eligible candidate in relation to a recount does not include a reference to a candidate who is, immediately before the commencement of the recount, an elected member of the council.\n\t(7)\tIn this regulation—\nrelevant period means the period determined by the returning officer.\n15—Bribery\nFor the purposes of section 57(3) of the Act, the prescribed value is $20.\n16—Transitional provision for gifts received\n\t(1)\tSubject to this regulation, the application of old Part 14 in relation to gifts received by candidates before the commencement day is not affected by the amendments effected by the Statutes Amendment (Local Government Elections Review) Act 2025.\n\t(2)\tDespite subregulation (1)—\n\t(a)\tif a candidate includes details relating to all gifts received by the candidate required to be included in a return under section 81 of old Part 14 in the first return relating to gifts furnished by the candidate under new Part 14, the candidate will be taken to have complied with the requirements of old Part 14 in relation to those gifts; and\n\t(b)\ta failure to submit a return under old Part 14 (including in accordance with paragraph (a)) will be taken to be a failure to comply with new Part 14.\n\t(3)\tFor the purposes of the periodic elections to determine the membership of councils to be held in 2026, the special disclosure period and disclosure period under sections 81 and 81A (respectively) of new Part 14 in relation to a candidate who is not a new candidate will be taken to commence on the commencement day.\n\t(4)\tFor the purposes of subregulation (3), a candidate is a new candidate, in relation to an election, if the person had not been a candidate in the last general election of a council and had not been a candidate at a supplementary election held after the last general election of a council.\n\t(5)\tIn this regulation—\ncommencement day means the day on which section 21 of the Statutes Amendment (Local Government Elections Review) Act 2025 comes into operation;\nnew Part 14 means Part 14 of the Act (as in force on and after the commencement day);\nold Part 14 means Part 14 of the Act (as in force immediately before the commencement day).\n17—Conduct of council during election period\n\t(1)\tFor the purposes of section 91A of the Act, the following kinds of decisions are excluded from the definition of designated decision:\n\t(a)\ta decision of a kind referred to in paragraph (c) of the definition if the decision—\n\t(i)\trelates to the carrying out of works in response to an emergency or disaster within the meaning of the Emergency Management Act 2004, or under section 298 of the Local Government Act 1999; or\n\t(ii)\tis an expenditure or other decision required to be taken under an agreement by which funding is provided to the council by the Commonwealth or State Government or otherwise for the council to be eligible for funding from the Commonwealth or State Government; or\n\t(iii)\trelates to the employment of a particular council employee (other than the chief executive officer); or\n\t(iv)\tis made in the conduct of negotiations relating to the employment of council employees generally, or a class of council employees, if provision has been made for funds relating to such negotiations in the budget of the council for the relevant financial year and the negotiations commenced prior to the election period; or\n\t(v)\trelates to a Community Wastewater Management Systems scheme that has, prior to the election period, been approved by the council;\n\t(b)\ta decision of a kind referred to in paragraph (a) of the definition if the decision is for the suspension of a chief executive officer for serious and wilful misconduct.\n\t(2)\tIn this regulation—\nelection period has the same meaning as in section 91A of the Act.\nSchedule 1—Prescribed forms\nForm 1—Declaration of eligibility\nName of declarant:\nAddress:\nOffice:\nCouncil:\nArea/ward:\nI declare that I would, if an election were held for the office set out above, be eligible to stand as a candidate for election to the office.\nSignature:\nDate:\nLegislative history\nNotes\n\t•\tFor further information relating to the Act and subordinate legislation made under the Act see the Index of South Australian Statutes or www.legislation.sa.gov.au.\nLegislation revoked by principal regulations\nThe Local Government (Elections) Regulations 2025 revoked the following:\nLocal Government (Elections) Regulations 2010\nPrincipal regulations and variations\nNew entries appear in bold.\nYear\nNo\nReference\nCommencement\n2025\n73\nGazette 31.7.2025 p2891 \n1.9.2025: r 2\n2025\n144\nGazette 18.12.2025 p4968\n1.1.2026: r 2\nProvisions varied\nNew entries appear in bold.\nEntries that relate to provisions that have been deleted appear in italics.\nProvision\nHow varied\nCommencement\nPt 1\n\n\nr 2\nomitted under Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002\n1.1.2026\nr 16\nsubstituted by 144/2025 r 3\n1.1.2026\nSch 2\nomitted under Legislation Revision and Publication Act 2002\n1.1.2026\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"},"issue_detection":{"absurdities":[],"contradictions":[]},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":6,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument expands and operationalises election procedures beyond the prior baseline in several concrete ways: it formally introduces a telephone-assisted voting method and its detailed safeguards (regs 11–12); it prescribes new, specific content and disclosure obligations for candidate profiles including recent registered political party membership (reg 6); it sets detailed vacancy‑filling mechanics involving contacting previous candidates and applying modified recount rules instead of automatic by‑elections in some cases (regs 4, 14); it prescribes granular post‑election reporting requirements (reg 13); it fixes a low prescribed bribery value ($20, reg 15); and it creates transitional arrangements for changes to candidate gift disclosure (reg 16). Together these additions broaden the procedural scope and administrative responsibilities compared with a narrow, purely-formatting regulation: they introduce new voting methods, new disclosure obligations, and expanded operational discretion for returning officers."},"complexity_factors":["Multiple cross-references to the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 (e.g. s6A, s48, s49, s50, s55A, s39, s41A, s57) increasing interpretive load","17 regulations covering diverse topics (nominations, ballots, postal voting, assisted voting, recounts, reporting, transitional provisions)","Detailed, procedural multi-step telephone-assisted voting method (reg 12) with multiple safeguards and actor roles","Conditional recount rules and modifications to section 48 with layered exceptions (regs 4(1)-(3), 14(1)-(3))","Candidate profile rules with a 1,000-character cap but specific exclusions from that cap (reg 6(2)-(4))","Transitional complexity linking old and new Part 14 and differing disclosure periods (reg 16 with defined terms 'commencement day', 'old/new Part 14')","Granular post-election reporting requirements listing 10 separate items (reg 13(a)-(j))","Discretion left to returning officer on key operational matters (determining 'relevant period', telephone days/times/number, form of nomination)","Low-value, prescriptive bribery threshold ($20) which can expand compliance scope (reg 15)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanically)**\n\n- Sets detailed rules for how local council elections and polls are run in South Australia under the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999. Key operational rules appear at: filling vacancies (regs 4, 14), nomination material and candidate profiles (reg 6), ballot and postal voting form and notice requirements (regs 7–10), a telephone-assisted voting method (regs 11–12), post-election reporting (reg 13), rules about bribery value (reg 15), transitional rules for candidate gift disclosures (reg 16), and limits on council actions during an election period (reg 17).\n\n- Provides a short prescribed form for a candidate declaration of eligibility (Schedule 1, Form 1) and prescribes many procedural details that returning officers and the Electoral Commissioner must follow (see multiple provisions, e.g. regs 6, 7, 9, 11).\n\n**Who it affects**\n\n- Candidates: must supply profiles that meet format, content and disclosure requirements (reg 6), supply signed declarations (Form 1), and comply with transitional disclosure rules about gifts if relevant (reg 16).\n- Returning officers / Electoral Commission: must follow prescribed steps for contacting past candidates to fill vacancies (regs 4, 14), prepare ballot papers and postal envelopes (regs 7–10), run and witness telephone-assisted voting (regs 11–12), and compile specific post-election returns (reg 13).\n- Voters: subject to procedures for postal voting (reg 9–10) and an optional telephone-assisted voting method for prescribed electors (regs 11–12).\n- Councils: constrained in some decisions during the election period by exclusions listed in reg 17.\n\n**Why it matters (how it changes behaviour and who bears costs or gets benefits)**\n\n- Increases administrative specification and discretion held by election officials. The returning officer must determine certain time periods and operational details (\"relevant period\" in regs 4 and 14; days/times and phone number for telephone voting in reg 11(2)). That puts operational cost and decision-making on the Electoral Commission/returning officer (regs 4, 11).  \n\n- Imposes content, format and disclosure obligations on candidates. Profiles must be typed, mostly capped at 1,000 characters, must include contact details and declare recent membership of registered political parties (reg 6(2)(b),(d),(f)). Candidates pay the compliance cost of meeting these requirements and run the risk of exclusion or truncation of excess characters (reg 6(4)).\n\n- Introduces a telephone-assisted voting method for certain electors (regs 11–12). This gives an accessibility benefit to electors who are outside SA during the relevant period or otherwise prescribed (reg 11(4)), but shifts operational complexity and some integrity safeguards onto election staff (unique identifier, two electoral officers involved, witness required, sealed declaration envelope, reg 12). Voters using this method relinquish direct, physical marking of their ballot and rely on electoral staff to mark and seal their votes (reg 12(1)(e)–(f)).\n\n- Changes vacancy-filling mechanics by requiring returning officers to contact previously unsuccessful candidates to declare willingness/eligibility and then, where necessary, perform recounts modified to treat only those declarations as eligible candidates (regs 4, 14). This reduces the need to hold fresh by-elections in some circumstances but imposes recount and contacting duties on the returning officer.\n\n- Tightens reporting and record-keeping obligations after elections: the return must include granular counts of printed/issued/replaced ballot papers, accepted/rejected declaration envelopes, and informal ballots (reg 13). That creates ongoing administrative work for election officials and produces data that councils and auditors can use.\n\n- Sets a low monetary threshold for bribery prescription (reg 15: $20). That determines the value at which gifts may be treated as bribery-related under section 57(3) of the Act and affects candidate behaviour and compliance monitoring.\n\n**Official purpose-claims and a practical test against costs and trade-offs (by section)**\n\n- Accessibility claim: regs 11–12 present the telephone-assisted voting method as an accessibility measure for \"prescribed electors\" (reg 11(1)–(4)). Trade-offs: it increases participation options but substitutes in-person secrecy with a process where electoral officers mark ballots on a caller's instructions and must witness both the call and marking (reg 12(1)(e),(h)). Implementation risks include ensuring identity verification (reg 12(1)(a)(i)), preserving secrecy while verifying identity (reg 12(2)), and safeguarding unique identifiers. The returning officer decides operational detail (reg 11(2)), so the quality of safeguards depends on administrative resourcing.\n\n- Efficiency in vacancy-filling: regs 4 and 14 mechanise filling vacancies by contacting prior unsuccessful candidates and, where there are multiple volunteers, conducting a recount with adjusted preference flows (reg 4(1)–(2); reg 14(1)–(2)). Benefit: avoids repeated elections; cost: complexity of recount rules (modifying s48) and potential legal challenges about who counts as an \"eligible candidate\" (reg 4(6), reg 14(6)). The returning officer again holds discretion for determining \"relevant period\" (regs 4(7), 14(7)).\n\n- Candidate information and transparency: reg 6 requires public profiles to include contact details, residency statement and recent political party membership. This narrows informational asymmetries for voters but creates compliance work for candidates and a small enforcement burden for returning officers (who are expressly exempted from checking accuracy—reg 6(6)). The requirement to avoid references to other nominees without written consent may limit comparative campaigning in profiles but does not prevent statements of public policy (reg 6(2)(c), (8)).\n\n- Election integrity and auditability: reg 13's prescribed return items (a–j) increase post-election transparency by standardising what must be reported. That improves auditability but increases the reporting burden on returning officers.\n\n**Who pays, who decides, what behaviour changes**\n\n- Who pays: administrative and compliance costs fall primarily on returning officers / Electoral Commission (operationalising telephone voting, recounts, reporting) and on candidates (preparing compliant profiles, disclosing party membership, gift reporting under transitional rules). Voters may bear small behavioural costs if they must use specified methods to obtain voting papers or to vote by phone.\n\n- Who decides: the returning officer and the Electoral Commissioner hold significant discretion (forms, timing, phone numbers, determination of relevant periods, recount procedures in certain cases) — see regs 4, 6(1), 7, 11(2), 12 and 14(5).\n\n- Behaviour changes expected: candidates will include prescribed contact and party information in profiles and may shorten profiles to fit the 1,000-character limit (reg 6). Returning officers will adopt the telephone-assisted voting method for prescribed electors and will perform additional administrative tasks (regs 11–12, 13). Councils and officials will avoid certain decisions during election periods except those specifically excluded (reg 17).\n\n**Implementation risks and compliance burden (concrete)**\n\n- Operational risk around telephone-assisted voting: identity verification, maintaining secrecy, managing unique identifiers and adequate witnessing (regs 11–12). These are procedural but require staff training and resourcing.\n- Legal uncertainty over \"relevant period\" and returning officer discretion in filling vacancies may invite disputes (regs 4(1)(b), 4(7), 14(1)(b), 14(7)).\n- Administrative burden from expanded post-election returns (reg 13) and from enforcing profile content (reg 6), although returning officers are not liable for accuracy (reg 6(6)).\n- Low bribery threshold ($20, reg 15) may require closer monitoring of small gifts and creates greater compliance sensitivity for candidates.\n\n**Concrete citations (examples)**\n\n- Telephone-assisted voting method and rules: regs 11–12.\n- Candidate profile content and limits: reg 6.\n- Vacancy-filling and recount modifications: regs 4 and 14 (modifying s48 of the Act).\n- Post-election reporting items: reg 13.\n- Bribery prescribed value: reg 15.\n- Transitional disclosure rules for gifts: reg 16.\n- Exclusions to the definition of designated decisions during election periods: reg 17.\n\n"},"summary":{"complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"Scope cannot be assessed as no legislative text was retrievable from the provided URL. The page returned a website error due to an incompatible link predating the SA legislation website's 24 March 2026 update."},"complexity_factors":["No legislative text was provided — the source URL returned a 404 Page Not Found error","Complexity cannot be meaningfully assessed without the actual content of the regulations","Score of 1 reflects the absence of analysable material, not simplicity of the underlying law"],"plain_english_summary":"**What happened here?**\n\nThe link provided does not actually contain the text of the *Local Government (Elections) Regulations 2025* (South Australia). Instead, it leads to a **\"Page Not Found\" error** on the South Australian legislation website, likely because the URL was created before a website update on 24 March 2026 and is now broken.\n\n**What this means for you:**\n- The actual content of this legislation **could not be retrieved or analysed**.\n- If you need to read these regulations, visit [www.legislation.sa.gov.au](https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au) directly and search for the legislation by name.\n- These regulations would ordinarily govern how **local government elections are conducted in South Australia** — things like candidate nominations, voting procedures, counting of votes, and election timelines — but no analysis can be provided without the actual text.\n\n**Action required:** Please supply the actual legislative text for a proper analysis."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":5,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations appear consistent with the original intent of the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999. They operationalise the Act's provisions regarding elections, polls, vacancies, and conduct without significant expansion beyond the statutory framework. The inclusion of telephone assisted voting and updated disclosure requirements reflects modernisation within the existing scope rather than mission creep."},"complexity_factors":["17 regulations across 2 Parts, with moderate length","Heavy cross-referencing to the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 (at least 15 distinct section references)","Nested conditional logic in regulations 4 and 14 (vacancy filling) with multiple sub-paragraphs and alternative scenarios","Modification of Act provisions 'as modified by subregulation' requiring readers to mentally overlay changes onto primary legislation","7 defined terms in interpretation section, but several terms defined inline within regulations (e.g., 'relevant period', 'eligible candidate', 'new candidate')","Exception to exception structure in regulation 17 (designated decisions exclusions with 5 sub-exceptions)","Transitional provisions in regulation 16 requiring tracking of 'old Part 14' vs 'new Part 14' and commencement day calculations","Procedural complexity in telephone voting (regulation 12) with 8 distinct steps and confidentiality requirements between officers"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this legislation does:**\n\nThese regulations set out the detailed rules for how local council elections work in South Australia. They cover everything from how candidates nominate, to how ballot papers look, to what happens when a councillor dies or resigns mid-term.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n- **Candidates** wanting to run for local council — they must follow strict rules about their candidate profiles (including a 1,000 character limit, contact details, and disclosure of political party membership)\n- **Voters** — particularly those who need assistance to vote (the regulations introduce a new telephone assisted voting method for people outside SA during the election period)\n- **Returning officers** — the officials who run elections, who have significant discretion in areas like determining time periods for declarations and conducting recounts\n- **Councils** — which face restrictions on certain decisions during election periods, with some exceptions for emergencies and employment matters\n\n**Key things to know:**\n\n- **Filling vacancies:** If a councillor leaves office, the regulations set out a process for contacting unelected candidates from the last election to see if they still want the job. If multiple people are interested, votes are recounted with preferences flowing to the remaining candidates.\n\n- **Postal voting:** Elections can be conducted entirely by post, with specific rules about how voting papers are sent out and returned.\n\n- **Telephone voting:** A new system allows certain electors (those outside SA during the election period) to vote by phone with assistance from electoral officers.\n\n- **Candidate profiles:** When nominating, candidates submit a profile with strict rules — no attacks on other candidates without their consent, no criticism of past council decisions, and mandatory disclosure of political party membership within the last 12 months.\n\n- **Bribery threshold:** Offering someone $20 or more to influence their vote is considered bribery under these rules.\n\n- **Transitional rules:** The regulations include special provisions for handling gift disclosures from the old system transitioning to new rules.\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nThese regulations determine the fairness and accessibility of local democracy. The telephone voting provision expands access for travellers, while the vacancy-filling rules ensure councils can continue functioning without expensive by-elections. The candidate profile rules aim to keep election information factual and civil."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/local-government-elections-regulations-2025","history":"/api/acts/local-government-elections-regulations-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/local-government-elections-regulations-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/local-government-elections-regulations-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/local-government-elections-regulations-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/local-government-elections-regulations-2025/documents"}}