title: Electoral results for the district of Spence
text: # 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 | 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 | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 18,208 | 96.0 | -0.1 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 768 | 4.0 | +0.1 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 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 | Labor hold | Swing | +15.6 | |
  
  1993 South Australian state election: Spence :
  
  | Party | 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 | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 19,085 | 96.1 | +2.0 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 784 | 3.9 | -2.0 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 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 | Labor hold | Swing | -6.4 | |
  
  ### Elections in the 1980s
  
  1989 South Australian state election: Spence :
  
  | Party | 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 | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 17,659 | 94.1 | -1.9 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,103 | 5.9 | +1.9 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 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 | Labor hold | Swing | -4.4 | |
  
  1985 South Australian state election: Spence :
  
  | Party | 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 | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 17,522 | 96.0 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 727 | 4.0 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 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 | Labor hold | Swing | -3.6 | |
  
  1982 South Australian state election: Spence :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Roy Abbott | 9,866 | 77.9 | +7.7 |
  | | Liberal | Elizabeth Bronisz | 2,803 | 22.1 | -7.7 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 12,669 | 89.6 | -4.0 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,469 | 10.4 | +4.0 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,138 | 92.8 | 0.0 |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +7.7 | |
  
  ### Elections in the 1970s
  
  1979 South Australian state election: Spence :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Roy Abbott | 9,502 | 70.2 | -7.1 |
  | | Liberal | Barry Lewis | 4,027 | 29.8 | +7.1 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 13,529 | 93.6 | -2.1 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 932 | 6.4 | +2.1 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,461 | 92.8 | -0.3 |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | -7.1 | |
  
  1977 South Australian state election: Spence :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Roy Abbott | 11,307 | 77.3 | +6.3 |
  | | Liberal | George Basivovs | 3,316 | 22.7 | +6.4 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 14,623 | 95.7 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 658 | 4.3 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,281 | 93.1 | |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +4.4 | |
  
  1975 South Australian state election: Spence :
  
  | Party | 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 | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 14,594 | 94.1 | +1.4 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 921 | 5.9 | -1.4 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 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 | Labor hold | Swing | N/A | |
  
  1973 South Australian state election: Spence :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Ernie Crimes | 11,363 | 81.9 | +6.2 |
  | | Independent | James Sheridan | 2,508 | 18.1 | +18.1 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 13,871 | 92.7 | -4.5 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,098 | 7.3 | +4.5 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,969 | 94.8 | -0.5 |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | N/A | |
  
  1970 South Australian state election: Spence :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labor | Ernie Crimes | 11,116 | 75.7 |
  | | Liberal and Country | Frank Rieck | 3,569 | 24.3 |
  | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 14,685 | 97.2 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 424 | 2.8 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,109 | 95.3 |
  | | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | |
  