SA Voice damaged by advertising failures and voter confusion, FOI documents show
Officials setting up a polling booth in the remote town of Yalata for SA's inaugural First Nations Voice election in March 2024. (ABC News: Stephanie Richards.)
In short:
SA's inaugural Voice to Parliament election was criticised for low turnout among Aboriginal voters.
New documents obtained by the ABC suggest there were several failures advertising the election, with many voters unaware it was taking place.
First Nations voters say they gave the Electoral Commission clear feedback that more Voice signage was needed for the 2026 election — but claim this advice was not heeded.
South Australia's inaugural Voice to Parliament election was hampered by advertising failures that left some First Nations voters unaware an election was taking place, according to internal Electoral Commission documents that accuse a government agency of failing to deliver publicity services as promised.
Freedom of information documents obtained by the ABC also show the commission received extensive feedback that more advertising, polling booth signage and Aboriginal workers were needed for the second Voice election in March 2026 — feedback that some Voice members say was not listened to.
But a spokesperson for the Electoral Commission of SA (ECSA) said that, following its review of the inaugural election, its promotion of the second election was "revised" to "include a broader range of advertising and community engagement activities to strengthen engagement with First Nations communities".
The inaugural Voice election was held in March 2024 — five months after the unsuccessful national Voice referendum — and registered a turnout of less than 10 per cent.
Afterwards, ECSA commissioned market research firm Ipsos to gauge First Nations' views on the Voice via an online survey, focus groups and in-depth interviews.
The report found "the main barrier" to voting was a "lack of awareness of the elections, including not knowing the date, location, or candidates".
"I knew plenty of people who would have liked to have voted," one voter reportedly said, "but didn't know [the elections were on] until after."
"There were lots of people who didn't know it was happening … we had all that education about the national voice, but very little about the state voice," another voter said.
It was also "overwhelmingly agreed" among both voters and non-voters that "little to no official information about candidates and their platforms was made available".
The SA Electorial Commission sought market research to gauge First Nations' views on the Voice. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
Only 52 per cent of the 100 First Nations people surveyed felt they had enough information about the candidates to make an informed choice, with some reporting they had to "rely on voting for relatives or people whose family names they recognised".
"This lack of knowledge was largely attributed to the lack of funding and training for candidates to campaign, and an absence of official information about candidates," the report said.
Another voter was quoted saying they had no information about the candidates until they were given a ballot paper.
Just 47 per cent of those surveyed believed voting in the Voice elections gave them a say in how SA is run.
Out of an estimated 30,000 eligible votes, a total of 2,583 formal Voice ballots were counted in 2024.
Those surveyed by Ipsos suggested ECSA should make information about voting options more accessible and deploy a communication campaign before the next poll in March 2026.
Feedback not 'been listened to'
The ABC also obtained an internal ECSA review of the 2024 Voice election, which summarised feedback from candidates, voters and polling staff.
They told ECSA there "needs to be a higher profile, broad-based advertising campaign to drive awareness of the [Voice] election" as well as "more onsite signage and advertising at polling booths during polling".
ECSA also conducted an internal review of the 2024 Voice election. (ABC News: Che Chorley)
But some Voice members said ECSA did not heed this advice for the second Voice election, which was held simultaneously with the March state election.
Ngarrindjeri man Rob Wright, an elected Voice member, cast his vote for both elections in the Riverland town of Berri, and said he had to ask polling staff where to vote for the Voice.
"There was no signage at all," Mr Wright said, "which is probably the most disappointing part to me."
Ngarrindjeri man and elected Voice member Rob Wright cast his vote in the Riverland town of Berri.
He said Voice members had "spoken quite clearly" to ECSA before the election that more polling booth signage was needed to "ensure the process is clear for First Nations people who want to vote in the Voice".
"None of that felt like it'd been listened to," he said.
Another suggestion from the 2024 review was there should be more First Nations people working at Voice polling booths, after 23 were employed for the 2024 poll.
Former Central Voice member Scott Wilson said "quite a few" Voice members had also made this clear to ECSA.
"So, I had expected to see Aboriginal people employed, Aboriginal paraphernalia, so that you would know that that's where to go or what to do [at the polling booth]," he said.
"But there was none of that at the actual polling station."
Former Central Voice member Scott Wilson voted in Torrensville. (ABC News: Carl Saville)
Mr Wilson said the majority of his Aboriginal friends did not vote in the most recent Voice election.
"When they got to a polling booth they thought there would maybe be a sign that said, 'Voice voters here',"Mr Wilson said.
"They didn't see any of that, and so they just went to cast their ballot normally and didn't actually ask for [a Voice ballot]."
In a statement, an ECSA spokesperson said "all polling places received signage and branded staff uniforms to highlight Voice to Parliament voting inside and outside the venue".
In response to the concerns raised by Mr Wilson and Mr Wright, the spokesperson said: "The conduct of the South Australian First Nations Voice to Parliament election will be the subject of an independent external review."
Voter turnout improved slightly at the second Voice election, with fewer than 11 per cent of an estimated 32,342 enrolled First Nations voters casting a ballot.
TAFE accused in report
The 2024 ECSA report also singled out vocational training provider TAFE SA for criticism.
TAFE was meant to deliver Voice publicity services in the APY Lands, but the partnership, according to ECSA, was "not as successful as had been hoped" and suffered "a number of failures".
The First Nations Voice to the South Australian Parliament nominee handbooks. (ABC News)
The report claims publicity materials "were not distributed by TAFE as arranged", and materials supplied to TAFE "were not displayed, even when they had been received".
"These failures may have impacted both nominations and voter turnout in these areas,"the report said.
In a statement, a TAFE spokesperson said it "values its relationships with the Electoral Commission" and will continue to work collaboratively to support First Nations participation in electoral process.
"TAFE SA was not aware of this report," the spokesperson said.
"Ultimately the report and its contents are a matter for the Electoral Commission to consider."
'It may take time'
The Malinauskas government created the Voice via legislation in March 2023 and gave ECSA $2.93 million to carry out the inaugural election, and a further $1.25 million for the second election.
A spokesperson for Aboriginal Affairs Minister Kyam Maher said there was an approximate 30 per cent increase in votes cast for the Voice between 2024 and 2026.
"The government has consistently expressed its expectation that, in recognition this was the first time Voice elections were held in conjunction with the state election, and only the second ever Voice elections, it may take time for eligible voters to engage with the process," the spokesperson said.
"We expect interest in voting and participating in SA Voice Elections will build as the work of the Voice continues to become more established, and anticipate engagement will build over the next few elections."
The government has already established in an independent review into the state and Voice election led by former Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers.
"Mr Rogers is consulting with the Voice to Parliament to ensure the review is informed by Aboriginal voters about their experiences voting in the 2026 Voice election," the spokesperson added.
The Liberal Party and One Nation have vowed to repeal the Voice if they win power.