SA Election Fiasco: 37M Blown, Votes Ignored

0:00South Australia's Electoral Commission messed up big time in the state election on March 21st. Three sealed boxes, with 642 absentee and declaration votes, Safra Godden and a Port Pirey office for three full weeks. Nobody checked them, even though they were marked as valid on the roles. Those votes included 81 from the Titanarunga seat, where one nation's Chantel Thomas won by just 58 votes. Adding them would have bumped her margin to 74, but the result was already official, so they didn't count. It was close enough to spark real drama if the Liberals had pulled ahead. Candidates like Thomas and her rival endured weeks of needless stress, while the public fumed over the incompetence. Booth opened late past 8 a.m., tech glitches hit hard, and staffing shortages piled on. Commissioner Mick Sherry was on leave when it all blew up, leaving folks demanding straight answers. Now ECSA is calling for an independent review to dig into the failures, after blowing nearly $37 million, including an extra 7.

1:031,200,000 for the poll, expect more costs for the probe, and heads might roll if it's as brutal as predicted. This glitch exposed cracks in the system with four years to prep, shaking trust and democracy down under. Fingers crossed, they fix it before the next one in 2030. Stay informed with Adelaide News today, AI, Powered Updates.