Documents have revealed situations during the state Voice elections where more staff worked than the number of votes cast

Freedom of Information documents have revealed shocking new figures around the low voter turnout during SA’s Voice to Parliament elections.

Low voter turnout for the state Voice to Parliament elections led to multiple occasions where there were more staff working at booths than the number of votes cast per day, Freedom of Information documents have revealed.

Of about 30,000 eligible voters, less than 10 per cent participated in the elections – and 12 of the 46 successful candidates polled fewer than 20 first-preference votes.

Data released to the opposition showed that, on March 16 polling day, booths at Roxby Downs and Port Victoria were staffed by three people but only one vote was cast at each centre.

Strathalbyn also had three staff and recorded three votes cast.

During the pre-poll period, Whyalla had four consecutive days where more staff worked than votes were cast, and no votes were recorded on two of the days despite an allocation of three staff.

Booths at Adelaide, Berri, Christie Downs, Maitland, Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, Port Lincoln and Whyalla all had days where more staff worked than votes were cast.

Crowds at the Voice state ceremony last year. Picture: Russell Millard

Opposition Aboriginal Affairs spokesman Josh Teague criticised the state government for pushing ahead with the $10m state-based Voice despite 64 per cent of South Australians voting ‘no’ at the federal Voice referendum.

“These results show just how poor the turnout was for Peter Malinauskas and Labor’s state-based Voice to Parliament,” he said.

“To have polling booths where more staff stood on the booths than votes were cast raises serious questions about the credibility of the Voice to Parliament elections.

“We need to know if staff at booths were being paid, and if so, how much were they being paid?”

A state government spokesman said it was a “disappointing double standard” that the Liberals continue to criticise the Voice but are silent on other elections in recent years – some where there were no votes cast at all.

“The Liberal Party continue to hold Aboriginal people in South Australia to a higher standard than that of themselves and councils around the state,” he said.
“In 2022, 12 councils, with a combined population of around 388,000 people, saw mayors elected with a combined vote total of 0.

“These were all uncontested elections, while some even failed because not a single person nominated.”

The spokesman said the inaugural Voice election provided a strong start to build on.

“Future Voice elections will occur at the same time as state elections, and we are confident engagement will continue to build,” he said.