Less than 10 per cent of South Australia’s 30,000 eligible indigenous voters cast their ballot for the State First Nations Voice to Parliament election on March 16.

Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders were asked to elect the 46 members of the State’s inaugural ‘voice’.

But only 2619 votes were counted across the entire State in the non-compulsory election, according to the Electoral Commission of South Australia.

South Australia became the first State in the commonwealth to pass legislation for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, with the State allocating $10.3m over four years to establish the body.

The ‘voice’, which will be made up of 12 representatives selected from the 46 members elected, has thew ability to address either house of parliament on any bill that is relevant to the State’s indigenous population.

Douglas Clinch, who was one of the elected members, told Sky News a lack of media coverage contributed to the low turnout.

“I think as we grow momentum around the voice people might start to understand how it can make a difference in their life,” he said.

“Hopefully through that we can grow trust and get buy in from community.”

More than 64 per cent of South Australians rejected a voice at the national level, the second highest “No” majority in the Federal Voice referendum held in October 2023.