Electoral results for the district of Spence

This is a list of electoral results for the Spence in South Australian elections.

Members for Spence

Member		Party	Term
	Ernie Crimes	Labor	1970–1975
	Roy Abbott	Labor	1975–1989
	Michael Atkinson	Labor	1989–2002

Election results

Elections in the 1990s

1997 South Australian state election: Spence

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Michael Atkinson	11,806	64.8	+14.8
	Liberal	Alex Smith	4,063	22.3	−16.5
	Democrats	Danny Grimsey	2,339	12.8	+5.1
Total formal votes			18,208	96.0	−0.1
Informal votes			768	4.0	+0.1
Turnout			18,976	90.9
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Michael Atkinson	13,340	73.3	+15.6
	Liberal	Alex Smith	4,868	26.7	−15.6
	Labor hold		Swing	+15.6

1993 South Australian state election: Spence

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Michael Atkinson	9,542	50.0	−5.7
	Liberal	Danny McGuire	7,411	38.8	+12.0
	Democrats	Jim Sotirianakos	1,483	7.8	+0.1
	Natural Law	Athena Yiossis	649	3.4	+3.4
Total formal votes			19,085	96.1	+2.0
Informal votes			784	3.9	−2.0
Turnout			19,869	92.9
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Michael Atkinson	11,016	57.7	−6.4
	Liberal	Danny McGuire	8,069	42.3	+6.4
	Labor hold		Swing	−6.4

Elections in the 1980s

1989 South Australian state election: Spence

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Michael Atkinson	9,762	55.3	−9.5
	Liberal	Rodney Scarborough	4,668	26.4	−3.4
	Democrats	Brian O'Leary	1,350	7.6	+2.2
	Grey Power	Florence Pens	1,275	7.2	+7.2
	Socialist Alliance	Dennis White	314	1.8	+1.8
	Call to Australia	Catherine Sparrow	290	1.7	+1.7
Total formal votes			17,659	94.1	−1.9
Informal votes			1,103	5.9	+1.9
Turnout			18,762	93.9	+0.6
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Michael Atkinson	11,298	64.0	−4.4
	Liberal	Rodney Scarborough	6,361	36.0	+4.4
	Labor hold		Swing	−4.4

1985 South Australian state election: Spence

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Roy Abbott	11,349	64.8	−6.2
	Liberal	Joe Ryan	5,231	29.8	+2.9
	Democrats	Elizabeth Sanderson	942	5.4	+3.4
Total formal votes			17,522	96.0
Informal votes			727	4.0
Turnout			18,249	93.3
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Roy Abbott	11,978	68.4	−3.6
	Liberal	Joe Ryan	5,544	31.6	+3.6
	Labor hold		Swing	−3.6

1982 South Australian state election: Spence

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Roy Abbott	9,866	77.9	+7.7
	Liberal	Elizabeth Bronisz	2,803	22.1	−7.7
Total formal votes			12,669	89.6	−4.0
Informal votes			1,469	10.4	+4.0
Turnout			14,138	92.8	0.0
	Labor hold		Swing	+7.7

Elections in the 1970s

1979 South Australian state election: Spence

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Roy Abbott	9,502	70.2	−7.1
	Liberal	Barry Lewis	4,027	29.8	+7.1
Total formal votes			13,529	93.6	−2.1
Informal votes			932	6.4	+2.1
Turnout			14,461	92.8	−0.3
	Labor hold		Swing	−7.1

1977 South Australian state election: Spence

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Roy Abbott	11,307	77.3	+6.3
	Liberal	George Basivovs	3,316	22.7	+6.4
Total formal votes			14,623	95.7
Informal votes			658	4.3
Turnout			15,281	93.1
	Labor hold		Swing	+4.4

1975 South Australian state election: Spence

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Roy Abbott	10,364	71.0	−10.9
	Liberal	Anthony Hutton	2,386	16.4	+16.4
	Liberal Movement	Patrick Carlin	1,844	12.6	+12.6
Total formal votes			14,594	94.1	+1.4
Informal votes			921	5.9	−1.4
Turnout			15,515	93.0	−1.8
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Roy Abbott	10,551	72.3	−9.6
	Liberal	Anthony Hutton	4,043	27.7	+27.7
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

1973 South Australian state election: Spence

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Ernie Crimes	11,363	81.9	+6.2
	Independent	James Sheridan	2,508	18.1	+18.1
Total formal votes			13,871	92.7	−4.5
Informal votes			1,098	7.3	+4.5
Turnout			14,969	94.8	−0.5
	Labor hold		Swing	N/A

1970 South Australian state election: Spence

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Ernie Crimes	11,116	75.7
	Liberal and Country	Frank Rieck	3,569	24.3
Total formal votes			14,685	97.2
Informal votes			424	2.8
Turnout			15,109	95.3
	Labor hold		Swing