Ballot packs for the 2022 local government elections are in the post and should arrive in mailboxes over the next week.

Everyone registered on the electoral roll will receive a voting package in the mail, including a reply-paid envelope to have a say on who is elected to their local council.

The packs will include details of all the candidates as well as the voting paper.

Voters don’t have to number every box on the ballot paper, but to record a valid vote they must number as many boxes as there are vacancies, in order of preference.

So if a voter is in a council ward that elects two councillors, they must number at least two boxes.

If they are in a council without wards, they must number as many boxes as there are councillor positions. 

Voting is not compulsory, but is important for those who want to have a say on how local decisions are made and what happens in their local community.

Councils are responsible for delivering a wide range of community services, and make important decisions relating to budgets, projects and local initiatives.

In the 2018 local government elections only 32.9 per cent of eligible voters took part across the state.

Voting rates are much higher in regional areas, including the Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island.

In 2018 Alexandrina recorded 42.6 percent; KI recorded 66.6 per cent; Onkaparinga recorded 26.3 per cent; Victor Harbor recorded 52.1 per cent; and Yankalilla recorded 49.4 per cent.

In the 2022 election ballot papers must be returned by 5pm on Thursday, 10 November.

Full details of all council elections and all candidates can be found on the SA Electoral Commission website.

Here is a summary of the nominations for the five councils that cover the region.

Alexandrina Council

Four people will contest the mayoral election, including incumbent Keith Parkes. His three challengers are Mark Hurst, Bron Lewis and Shaun Smith.

Following the last electoral review the council’s wards were reduced from four to three; each will elect three representatives.

The six candidates for Alexandrina West Ward are: Michael Scott, Lou Nicholson, Bill Coomans, Judy Newport, Dybala Victoria and Lorraine Rosenberg.

The six candidates for Alexandrina North Ward are: Rex Keily, Craig Maidement, Christie Thornton, Sue Miller, Lance Bagster and Lynton Arney.

The thirteen candidates for Alexandrina South Ward are: Steven Watson, Mark Jones, Jim Davis, Jane Williams, Gerry Thompson, Margaret Gardner, Julie Jordan, Eli Bickley, Dave Gladwin, Craig Ostigh, Peter Oliver, Michael Rivers-Thompson and Milli Livingston.

Kangaroo Island Council

There are two candidates for Mayor, incumbent Michael Pengilly and challenger James Newcomer.

There are eleven candidates for the nine area councillor vacancies: Jeannette Gellard, Veronica Bates, Rosalie Chirgwin, Pat Austin, Sam Mumford, Ken Liu, Richard Cotterill, Gregory Miller, Shirley Pledge, Bob Teasdale and John Holmes.

City of Onkaparinga

There are eight candidates for Mayor, current acting Mayor Simon McMahon and seven challengers: Jeannette Howell, Rob De Jonge, Steven Hann, Mark Nielsen, Janette Francis, Moira Were and Dan Golding.

Two councillors represent each of the six wards; two wards fall within the Fleurieu.

South Coast Ward candidates are: Josh Reiter, Victor Kashyap, Daniel Hennigan, Sean Weatherly, Steven Cook, Paul Yeomans, Stephen Spence, Beth Rex, Lauren Jew and Robin Lewis.

Southern Vales Ward candidates are: John Humphries, Jordan Pritchard, Marisa Bell, Wayne Tassell, Matthew Fossey, Colin Baker, Wayne Olsen and Gail Kirby.

City of Victor Harbor

There are three candidates for Mayor, incumbent Moira Jenkins and challengers Nick Hayles and Peter Charles.

The council has no wards and there are 19 candidates for the nine area councillor positions. 

They are: Stewart Burns, Brayden Mann, Rob Reynolds, Carlos Quaremba, Nick McKenzie, Malcolm Watson, Marilyn Henderson, Megan Storer, John Milner, Carol Schofield, James Bruce, Angela Schiller, Michael Quinton, Marty Ashford, Timothy Mitchell, Andrew Robertson, Bailey Hames, Angelique Dellaney and David Kemp.

District Council of Yankalilla

Nine councillors will be elected to represent two wards, four in Field Ward and five in Light Ward.

The Mayor will be chosen by and from the successfully elected ward councillors at the first council meeting following the November election.

The six candidates for Field Ward are: Leon Zarina, David Olsson, Darryl Houston,  Simon Rothwell, Lawrence Polomka and Peter O’Neill.

The ten candidates for Light Ward are: Glen Rowlands, Davina Quirke, Wayne Gibbs, Tim Moffat, Ed Vercoe, Bill Verwey, Michele Shaughnessy, Simon Reed, Shane Grocke and Gavin Denton.