Council Elections
Important update
Local government elections have been postponed to April 2027 following legislation passed by the South Australian government in June 2026.
2027 Council Elections
Council elections, also known as local government elections, are conducted every four years. The next periodic council election will take place on 7 April 2027.
Participating in the 2027 Council elections is a great way to have a say on who will represent you on Council for the next four years. It is your opportunity to either nominate to be on Council or vote for the candidate who will best serve you and the future of your community.
The local government elections are governed by the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 and Local Government (Elections) Regulations 2010 and are primarily managed by the Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA).
Enrolling to vote
To vote or nominate for Council, you must be enrolled on the South Australian electoral roll, or the Council's Supplementary Roll.
It only takes a minute to enrol or update your details before the close of roll at 5.00pm, Monday 4 January 2027.
If you are enrolled for State and Federal elections at your current address, you do not need to do anything. You are able to nominate for Council and your ballot pack will be automatically posted to you.
If you have recently moved or changed your name, you can check or update your details by visiting the Australian Electoral Commission website or by calling the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on 13 23 26.
You can enrol on Council's Supplementary Roll if you:
- Own a property (residential or commercial) within the City of Port Lincoln but don't live in the council area; or
- Lease a property within the City of Port Lincoln i.e. run a business from a property but don't live in the council area.
If you own or lease a property with others, or through a company, at least one of you (or one of the officers of the company) cannot have an individual enrolment within the City of Port Lincoln.
This can be complex, so please contact Council's Senior Rates Officer if you have any questions or are unsure which enrolment form to use.
Enrolment Forms
- Natural Person: For a non-resident who owns or leases property in the Council area; is the only owner/occupier; is a State elector and does not live in that property.
Download: Form 1 - Natural Person - Application for Enrolment on the Voters Roll [PDF 531KB] - Body Corporate: For a company who own or occupy any type of rateable property in a council area and are on Council's assessment record.
Download: Form 2 - Body Corporate - Application for Enrolment on the Voters Roll [PDF 606KB] - Group Owners/Occupiers: For jointly owned or occupied properties by companies, individual persons or a combination of both.
Download: Form 3 - Group Owners /Group Occupiers - Application for Enrolment on the Voters Roll [PDF 566KB]
Please note under the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999, there is a requirement for Council to purge the Council Supplementary Roll on 1 January of every election year. Due to the change in the election date, this occurred on 1 January 2026, but will not occur on 1 January 2027. This means that all landlords, organisations, business owners or occupiers, were removed from the Council Supplementary Roll after January 1 2026 and will need to re-enrol in order to be eligible to nominate or vote at the 2027 elections.
Nominating for Council
Thinking of becoming a council candidate? Nominations for Council will be open from Tuesday, 26 January 2027, closing at 12.00pm Tuesday, 9 February 2027.
You MUST be enrolled to be able to nominate.
Becoming a council member is one of the most direct ways that you can influence decisions that affect the quality of life in your local area.
If you'd like to find out more about what's involved in being a Council member or how to nominate, visit the Council Elections Website or talk to a current or former Council Member.
Voting
Voting in council elections is conducted by post. All election materials, including ballot papers, are mailed directly to the postal address you provide on the electoral roll. This makes voting easy and convenient for all.
If you enrolled to vote, you will receive a ballot pack (also known as a voting pack) in the mail from 11-17 March 2027.
Voting in council elections is not mandatory but it is your opportunity to have a say on who will best represent your interests and needs fairly, while deciding about key things that happen in your local area. Candidates who are elected to council are involved in council's strategic decision making and will help shape council services, programs and infrastructure projects for the community.
Key Election Dates
| Description | Date |
|---|---|
| Close of Roll Enrol to vote in your council elections. | 5pm Monday,4 January 2027 |
| Nominations open Interested in running for council? You will need to nominate to become a candidate before you can start campaigning your candidacy. | Tuesday, 26 January 2027 |
| Nominations close You must submit your nomination before the deadline. | 12pm Tuesday, 9 February 2027 |
| Draw for position of candidate names on the ballot paper These positions determine the order of candidates listed on the ballot paper. | 9am Wednesday, 10 February 2027 |
| Ballot packs mailed out to electors Ballot packs will be sent to the mailing address included on your enrolment. Keep an eye out for it in the mail! Instructions and guides on how to vote are included in the ballot pack. | Thursday, 11 March to Wednesday, 17 March 2027 |
| Close of Voting (Polling Day) You must return your ballot papers, so they reach the electoral commission before this deadline. | 5pm Wednesday, 7 April 2027 |
| Scrutiny and count Counting begins and results are posted progressively to the ECSA website | 9am Saturday, 10 April 2027 |
Caretaker Policy
Council's Caretaker Policy [PDF 295KB] is to ensure that council meets its minimum legislative obligations to address issues commonly asked or questioned by the community and the media during caretaker period.
Caretaker period begins Tuesday, 9 February 2027 and expires at the conclusion of the election when the election results are declared by the Electoral Commission SA, in April 2027.
Related information
Need more information?
If you have any questions about the 2027 Council Elections, please contact:
City of Port Lincoln
Governance, Risk & Communications Team
9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday
Phone: 8621 2300
Email: plcc@plcc.sa.gov.au
This page is authorised by CEO Eric Brown, City of Port Lincoln, Level One, Civic Centre, 60 Tasman Terrace, Port Lincoln SA 5606