2024 First Nations Voice to Parliament Election
Communications strategy lead, Electoral Commission of South Australia
The situation
South Australia's first First Nations Voice election, held after the failed national Voice Referendum, with 46 positions up for election across six regions, held on 16 March 2024. Originally scheduled for September 2023 and moved to avoid overlapping the Federal Voice Referendum.
The real problem
Confusion, public resentment, and a lack of understanding across the community as to what it was, how it worked and what it meant to them. Standard election advertising was never going to carry this. A new electoral process, communities spread across six regions, and a timing change that had already disrupted understanding. Reach was not the constraint; trust and comprehension were.
What we did
Identified early that conventional advertising alone would not work, and built a community-led approach instead
Combined communications strategy, community engagement, media engagement, advertising, PR and budget management
Delivered across statewide direct community engagement with the community, supported by TV, press, outdoor, digital, website, social and PR
Created more than 500 community engagement kits and supported over 400 engagement sessions
The result
All 46 positions attracted multiple nominations.
Not one was filled uncontested, and elections were successfully held across every position, establishing the credibility of First Nations Voice to SA Parliament and delivering the stakeholders' objectives and success measures.
Campaign assets
Video
Awareness
Enrol
Enrol: Urgency
How to Vote
Nominate
Vote Awareness
Vote: Urgency
Documents
Vote Poster (A2)
Enrol Press Ad
Election Brochure
Nominations Guide (A3)
Why it matters to you
When the people you need are not reachable through the obvious channels, spending more there does not buy growth. Going where they already are does, and that is true at any budget.
Facing something similar?
When the obvious channels aren't reaching the people you need, that's a strategy problem before it's a media-buying one.
Tell us what you're trying to shift. We'll come back to you within one business day.