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South Australia Election: Labour Party Projected to Win Decisively
The Labour Party is projected to win the South Australia election decisively, while the Liberals are expected to suffer a historic defeat. Premier Peter Malinauskas is on track for a landslide re-election victory as the Liberal opposition's lower-house seats are tipped to be reduced to single digits.
South Australia's state election saw polls close at 6 p.m. local time, with early indications suggesting a significant victory for the Labour Party. The Liberal Party is facing potentially one of its worst election defeats in the state's history. Pre-election polling suggested the Liberals risked being wiped out from metropolitan Adelaide, potentially giving them one of the bleakest electoral records in the country. The Liberals turned to first-term MP Ashton Hurn late last year after internal polling suggested the party was careering towards an election wipeout, making the 35-year-old the party's fourth leader in four years. More than 35% of the state voted before election day, a record result, and up from about 17% at the 2022 poll. The race is a key test of the surge in support for Pauline Hanson's One Nation.
Key Facts
- The Labour Party is projected to secure a commanding victory in South Australia's election.
- The Liberal Party is anticipated to experience a historic collapse.
- Premier Peter Malinauskas is on track for a landslide re-election victory.
- Liberal opposition's lower-house seats are tipped to be reduced to single digits.
- More than 35% of the state voted before election day, a record result.
- Labour entered the campaign the clear favourite to win re-election.
- A controversy involving an email overshadowed the final stretch of the campaign.
- Election victory would hand Malinauskas a mandate to deliver a second-term agenda centered on building more homes, making public education free and keeping children away from screens.
Primary Source
Research Sources
- 7NEWS.com.au — Polls close as Labor surges toward decisive SA election win
- The Guardian — SA state election 2026: Labor confident but all eyes on One Nation vote as polls close in South Australia