The candidates contesting the inaugural 2024 South Australian First Nations Voice to Parliament have been officially declared, with 14 nominations for Region 4, which incorporates the South East and Riverland.


Electoral Commissioner of South Australia Mick Sherry said there will be elections held in each of the six regions across South Australia.


“ECSA will be hosting elections in the six regions across South Australia with 113 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates declared for the election,” he said.


“Electoral Commission staff and the First Nations Voice Commissioner Dale Agius and his team have been visiting regional and remote communities for many months now, engaging with more than 250 organisations across South Australia to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders understand how to enrol, nominate and vote in the SA Voice elections.”


Region 4 will have seven elected members, with voters to choose from candidates Danni Smith, Lisa Rigney, Michael Harris, Dan Mitchell-Matthews, Lauren Letton, Cheryle Saunders, Rob Wright, Freda Mills, David Paul Crompton, Christine Abdulla, Sheryl Giles, Eunice Aston, Darryle Barnes and Tim Hartman.


Early Voting Centres for the election open on Wednesday, March 6 and there will be 32 polling booths, more than 50 mobile polling locations and 13 early voting centres established across metropolitan and regional South Australia.


South Australia’s First Nations Voice will have two levels: a Local First Nations Voice and a State First Nations Voice.


They will work together but will have different roles and responsibilities.


All elected members will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and will be elected by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who live in their region.


The State First Nations Voice will be made up of the two joint presiding members of each Local First Nations Voice, with a total of 12 members.


The State First Nations Voice will choose a male and female member to become joint presiding members.


These joint presiding members will lead the State First Nations Voice by engaging directly with Parliament.


To form the Six Local First Nations Voice bodies, the Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) will be holding an election on Saturday, March 16, 2024, which will allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to elect the members of each Local First Nations Voice body.