Allegations of Foul Play in South Australian Election
One Nation is facing serious allegations of misconduct during the South Australian election, with volunteers at two polling booths accused of distributing pre-filled how to vote forms. This has raised concerns among rival candidates, who have reported the issue to the Electoral Commission of South Australia.
If true, this practice would violate the approved election materials guidelines. In response to these allegations, one of One Nation’s own candidates, Jason Wilkinson, criticized the approach. He revealed that specific instructions had been issued through party communications, urging candidates not to engage in such activities.
Wilkinson, who is running for Pauline Hanson’s party in Unley, mentioned he had “heard a little about it” but emphasized that there were clear messages in the candidate WhatsApp group reminding everyone to follow the rules. “I think we should be following the rules,” he said.
The party’s official materials include a section encouraging voters to select every box and to place a number one in the One Nation box. However, Lou Nicholson, an independent candidate in the Finniss electorate, reported finding 24 pre-filled leaflets in the recycling bin at a polling booth she visited on Thursday. Her complaint was one of two submitted to the state’s electoral commission.
Premier Meets with One Nation Candidate
Premier Peter Malinauskas met with Wilkinson while visiting a voting point at Unley Town Hall, bringing the Labor leader face-to-face with a party that could significantly impact the state’s political landscape. During the encounter, Wilkinson playfully asked the Premier if he had voted yet and offered him a One Nation campaign leaflet.
Malinauskas responded with a joke, saying he “got in early this morning” before shaking hands with Wilkinson. The meeting highlighted the growing influence of One Nation in the state.
Liberal Party’s Preference Strategy
The Liberal Party has chosen to prefer One Nation over The Nationals for the upper house, a move that could create tension within the federal Coalition parties. This decision reportedly followed One Nation’s refusal to return the favor. Although the Nationals have no parliamentary presence in South Australia and there is no formal coalition arrangement with the Liberals, the preference strategy may signal future shifts in voting patterns as One Nation’s support continues to grow.
Voting Delays Due to Technical Issues
Some South Australians faced long waits at polling booths due to computer glitches. Polling stations across the state saw high turnout on Saturday, with polls predicting a significant victory for Labor. The Liberal vote, however, is expected to suffer due to strong support for the Malinauskas government and a surge in One Nation’s popularity.
Chaos was reported at polling booths in Glenelg, where some voters experienced delays of up to two hours due to technical issues. Malinauskas acknowledged the outages but stated they have since been resolved. “Clearly serious questions have to be asked of the electoral commission,” he said, expressing hope that the issues did not affect voters too much.
Incidents of Disrespect at Polling Stations
One Nation’s candidate for Colton, Rocco DeAngelis, spoke about the challenges faced by his supporters at Grange Primary School. He praised the support he received but also highlighted instances of disrespect from opponents. “There have been a few silly incidents of people, particularly younger voters, being unfair to our volunteers,” he said.
DeAngelis described situations where people took leaflets and ripped them up in front of volunteers or called them names. “That’s just not right,” he added. He expressed concern about the way some individuals are expressing their political views, calling it a shame for democracy.
Premier’s Nervousness on Election Day
Malinauskas admitted to feeling nervous on election day despite being the favorite to win. “I’m always nervous on election day which is the way it should be,” he said. “No matter what the polls say, you never know the outcome until the votes come in.”
During his visit to the polling booth alongside his family, the Premier shared his preference for a sausage sizzle. “With sauce and onions, you’ve got to have both,” he said. When asked about his choice, he laughed and said, “Well it’s a secret ballot, but you’ll probably be able to guess.”
Predictions for the Election
Polls suggest a sweeping win for Labor, while Ashton Hurn’s Liberal Party faces a potential disaster. YouGov’s latest figures indicate the Liberal Party’s primary support is at just 19 per cent, with One Nation predicted to receive 21-22 per cent of the primary vote. This could see the Liberals overtaken as the main opposition.
As of Friday, nearly 400,000 early votes had already been cast, surpassing the previous record of 212,466 set in 2022. Voting day polls will close at 6pm.
