Polling officials say they were ignored after offering to work at SA election
South Australia's Electoral Commission did not follow up with polling officials who indicated they wanted to work at the 2026 state election, multiple former officials say.
Former polling officials in South Australia were reportedly ignored when they offered to help staff booths for the 2026 state election. The South Australian Electoral Commission (ECSA) failed to respond to these offers of assistance, leaving many surprised and concerned. Crispin Boxhall, a retired Australian Defence Force member, had worked at previous elections and applied to work at the state poll, but received no follow-up from ECSA.
Similarly, Andrew West, a semi-retired consultant who had assisted with a recent referendum, also expressed his willingness to help but reported no communication from the commission. These experiences come as ECSA faces an independent review, led by former Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers, to examine issues such as technical glitches, long queues, and voter mismanagement during the recent election.
Premier Peter Malinauskas acknowledged logistical problems that could have been avoided and promised improvements for future elections.
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