On 25th June 2026, the South Australian Parliament passed legislation to defer the 2026 local government elections to April 2027.

Local government is the level of government closest to the community and plays an important role in delivering local infrastructure, services, programs and facilities that support everyday life. The 2027 Council Elections are conducted by the Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA).

Barunga West Council supports the election process by providing local information and assistance to electors and candidates. Whether you are considering nominating as a candidate, enrolling to vote, or voting for the first time, information about the election process is provided in the link below:

https://www.councilelections.sa.gov.au/

Key Dates – 2027 Council Elections

Enrol to Vote

Enrolling to vote is the first step in participating in council elections. The voters roll for council elections consists of:

• the State Electoral Roll; and
• the Council supplementary voters roll.

You may already be enrolled through the State Electoral Roll. If you are not enrolled, or if you qualify through property ownership or occupancy, you may be eligible to apply to be included on the Council supplementary roll.

You may be eligible if:

• you are a resident at your current address;
• you are not an Australian citizen but have resided at your current address for at least one month;
• you own or occupy rateable property within the council area;
• you are a landlord of rateable property;
• you are a business or organisation that owns or occupies rateable property; or
• you are a group owner or occupier of rateable property.

Further information about enrolment eligibility is available from the ECSA Enrolment Information Page.

There are three different enrolment forms, one for each category of eligibility (natural person; body corporate and a group) A detailed description of eligibility is provided on the reverse of the Application.

This Voters Roll is open to any person over the age of 18 years or above.There are 3 forms:

• Form 1 Application for Enrolment – Natural Person (Resident, Sole Owner or Sole Occupier)
• Form 2 Application for Enrolment – Body Corporate (Business or Organisation)
• Form 3 Application for Enrolment – Group Owners (Group Owners or Group Occupiers)

You should note that:

• If you have now registered (as a natural person) on the State (House of Assembly) roll in respect of the above address, you will automatically receive a voting pack for the council elections and do not need to enrol on the council supplementary roll. (Unless you wish to enrol in a different capacity at a different address)
• Any person completing a form must be aged 18 years or over to apply
• Groups and bodies corporate must nominate a person to vote on their behalf
• An elector can only vote once in an area (ie Area Councillor or Mayoral) election and once in a ward election
• You do not need to be an Australian citizen to qualify for enrolment on the council supplementary roll.

Applications must be received before the close of roll at 5:00pm Monday 4 January 2027. If you are unsure about your eligibility to vote, please contact Barunga West Council on (08) 8635 2107.

Nominate for Council

Serving as an Elected Member is an opportunity to help shape the future of the Barunga West community.

Council Members contribute to decisions regarding:

• local infrastructure and roads;
• waste and recycling services;
• parks, reserves and sporting facilities;
• community programs and events;
• local economic development; and
• strategic planning for the district.

To nominate for election, you must:

• be an Australian citizen;
• be eligible to vote in the council area; and
• satisfy the eligibility requirements under the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999.

Candidate nominations will open on Tuesday 26 AJanuary 2027 and close at 12:00 noon Tuesday 9 February 2027.

Nominations are submitted through the ECSA candidate portal.

Prospective candidates are strongly encouraged to review the candidate handbook and information sessions scheduled below prior to nominating –

• Tuesday 02 June, 5:30pm in the Bute Town Hall
• Tuesday 16 June, 5:30pm in the Alford Town Hall
• Tuesday 30 June, 5:30pm in the Port Broughton Town Hall

Candidate Information

Following the close of nominations and completion of the ballot paper draw, candidate information and ballot paper order will be published by ECSA in accordance with the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999.

Candidate profiles and election information will be available closer to the election period.

Voting

Voting in South Australian council elections is conducted by post. Voting is not compulsory; however, every vote helps shape the future direction of the local community.

Ballot materials will be mailed to eligible voters during March 2027 to the postal address recorded on the electoral roll.

Each ballot pack will include:

• a ballot paper;
• candidate profiles;
• a ballot paper envelope;
• a reply-paid envelope; and
• voting instructions.

To complete your ballot paper:

1. Number candidates in order of preference starting from “1”.
2. Number at least as many boxes as there are vacancies to be filled.
3. Complete and sign the declaration envelope.
4. Return your completed ballot using the reply-paid envelope provided.

Completed voting materials must be received by ECSA before the close of voting at 5:00pm Wednesday 7 April 2027.

If mailing timeframes are a concern, completed ballot envelopes may also be returned to the Barunga West Council office before the close of voting.

Further voting information is available from the ECSA Voting in Council Elections Information Page.

Further Information

For additional information regarding the 2026 Council Elections, please contact Barunga West Council  Phone: (08) 8635 2107

You can also visit:

• Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA)
• Local Government Association of South Australia (LGA)

Authorised by the Chief Executive Officer, Barunga West Council, 11 Bay Street, Port Broughton SA 5522