Technical glitches have been causing frustration and long lines at polling places across South Australia.

The Electoral Commission said there were staff log-in issues at some booths but voters told the ABC of workers taking several minutes to find their names on the electronic electoral roll, holding up voting.

Former Senator Rex Patrick was at a polling booth in North Adelaide where he said there were about 200 people waiting in line this morning, while others were going home without voting.

“There are other options for people to vote and people should exercise their right to vote,” Mr Patrick said.

“It’s a really important part of democracy. 

“It’s just a shame that people get mucked around when they turn up to vote.”

People lining up outside an old stone building

Voters queue at Goodwood Primary School as the Electoral Commission urges people to be patient. (ABC News: Evelyn Leckie)

The Electoral Commission posted on social media urging people to be “kind, patient and respectful to everyone you encounter while voting”.  

“Disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated,” it said.

It also suggested people could vote in the afternoon, when queues were generally shorter.

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But people commenting on the post complained about long waits and computer issues, particularly in the Riverland.

“Get your act together! I waited in line for an hour to then be told the system had been down for 45 minutes and to go to a different voting place,” one woman wrote.

“Straight to the back of that line and I’ve spent close on two hours to vote. This is not good enough.”

Former ABC presenter Peter Goers turned up at 8am in Glenelg but said he had to wait one-and-half hours to vote because of the computer issues.

“The age-old system of crossing our name off with a Biro and a ruler, which never failed, has been replaced with a computer system that’s failing, so I’m told, quite a bit,” Mr Goers said.

In Blair Athol, church volunteer Michael Hall tried to vote early but had to wait until 9:30am to cast his ballot, which he said was frustrating.  

“They couldn’t open the polling station because they had no connection back to the home server,” he explained.

A man wearing a black T-shirt

Michael Hall tried to vote early but could not. (ABC News)

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said a small number of the state’s 600 voting centres experienced a login issue this morning which “slightly delayed” their opening but it had since been resolved.

He said an electronic electoral roll was first used for the 2022 state election.  

The polling place at Port MacDonnell, in the state’s south-east, was closed until midday because of staff illness.

Yesterday, the commission announced that polling booths at Hincks Avenue Primary School and Fisk Street Primary School in Whyalla Norrie would not open as planned today, along with the booth at Willsden Primary School in Port Augusta.

The commission also confirmed it would charter a plane to provide voting services in Coober Pedy from 1:30pm to 3:30pm today after concerns were raised some residents were unaware of the voting services that were provided earlier this month.

Voting in other booths closes at 6pm.