Candidate “Profile” and Candidate “Statement”
What’s the difference?
Candidate “profile” – on paper.
When you nominate for a Local Government election, you are required to submit, to the Electoral
Commissioner, a candidate “profile” which is usually accompanied by a photo. This “profile” and your photo
will be printed and posted in official ballot packs. There are tight restrictions on length (just 150 words)
and there are many things you are not permitted to say in your profile.
In addition to being printed on paper, the Local Government Association (LGA) will also be publishing your
“profile” on the internet to assist voters.
Candidate “statement” – on line.
The “profile” is a compulsory part of your nomination, and a candidate “statement” is optional. However, it is
an option that you should seriously consider. Without it, you may be at a disadvantage compared to other
candidates. If you choose to take up this option, you can direct the public from a central LGA website to
your own personal web page (which could be on social media, a blog, or a specific website).
The LGA will not directly publish your personal election material (other than the mandatory “profile”
described above). Rather, the LGA will provide a hyperlink so that voters looking for information about
you will be able to find your personal web page (assuming that you choose to have one).
The Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 requires the LGA to give you the option of publishing a
candidate “statement” subject to any LGA requirements. For the 2014 Local Government elections,
the only requirements that the LGA has decided on are:
• that your “statement” must be only a hyperlink i.e. a link to an external web page or site about you and
your candidacy;
• that your identity as a candidate can be verified by the LGA by matching your “statement” with an email
address that you gave the Electoral Commissioner when you nominated; and
• that you do not publish on your own web pages or site anything illegal or defamatory.
The benefit of this arrangement is that you will be in complete control over what is published about
yourself. You can update your election material on your own web page or site whenever you want. You
can announce your policies, seek support, and campaign on whatever issues you choose. If your site or
page allows it, then you might wish to ask and answer questions from your potential voters. You will be
responsible for setting up such a page or site, and for everything that occurs there. The LGA’s role is limited
to providing the gateway, hosting the initial link through which voters will be able to find your page or site.
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How do I lodge my hyperlink “statement”?
1. First, set up a page or pages that you intend to use for election campaigning. You can use an existing
page if you have one, or you can create a new one specifically for your election campaign.
Although Facebook is the best-known forum for posting personal information, there are many
alternatives, such as Google Plus, Bebo, Tumblr, Wordpress, Blogger, and others.
If you aren’t sure which one to pick, ask friends or colleagues for their recommendation; or simply sign up
for a free account at one or more of the many available services and try them out.
You don’t need to have your page or site looking perfect from the beginning, because you will be able to
adjust it as often as you wish, during the election campaign.
2. Identify the website address (the “URL”) of your page or site. It will look something like this:
www.yourpage.blogsite.com.au. This is the only thing you need to register with the LGA, so that voters
can find you through the LGA’s election pages. This hyperlink becomes your candidate “statement”.
3. Most Important: After nominations close at 12 noon on Tuesday 16 September 2014, you will have only
seven days (i.e. only until 12 noon on Tuesday 23 September) to submit your website address
to the LGA.
During this seven-day period, visit www.lgcandidates.sa.gov.au and follow the prompts.
You will be asked to:
• provide your email address (the same address that you gave the Electoral Commission on your
nomination form); and
• agree to the LGA’s requirements (i.e. that you do not publish on your own web pages or site anything
that is illegal or defamatory); and
• when prompted, type in (or paste in) your website address.
4. After typing or pasting your website address, and clicking the “submit” button, the LGA system will then
send you an email. This email serves the purpose of identifying you. It will ask you to verify that the
website address you provided is yours, and is correct. If you follow the prompt in that email to confirm
the accuracy of your website address, then you will have successfully lodged your hyperlink “statement”.
5. There will be a gap of several days before the LGA makes the system “live”. During this time, the LGA
will need to verify that submitted hyperlinks are working. If your hyperlink does not work as intended,
the LGA will contact you to try to correct the error. The LGA has an obligation to ensure that the site is
working within 14 days after close of nominations (i.e. by 12 noon on Tuesday 30 September) but will
endeavour to meet a slightly earlier commencement date if possible.
6. If you encounter difficulties during this process, there will be a dedicated help line to assist you:
Available from 15 to 24 September from the hours of 8.00am to 8.00pm,
Includes Saturday and Sunday.
The help line number is: 8224 2017.
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