Australian-first smartphone app launched to reduce voter waiting times at state election

South Australian's voting in March's state election have been promised shorter waiting times at polling booths if they download a smartphone application (app).

The EasyVote Card App, launched by the Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) on Monday, is the first of its kind in Australia.

The app will let users know which electorate they belong to, where polling booths are as well as providing real-time data on waiting times.

It will also contain details on every candidate in a given electorate and tutorials on how to vote.

Mick Sherry, SA's electoral commissioner, said the app was developed to help people spend less time voting.

"If you bring your mobile phone with the app loaded when you come to vote, our polling officials will use its unique information to quickly find you on the electoral roll and mark off your name," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday.

"We want local polling booths to be easier and more convenient than ever to use."

The ECSA said the app would also reduce the environmental impact of the election as people who download it before Feb. 23 will not be sent a voting card in the mail.

"There will be a lot less EasyVote cards printed. This will dramatically reduce the amount of printing and paper we use," Sherry said.

Dramatic electoral boundary changes that have taken place since the last state election in 2014 means that more than 400,000 South Australians, or a third of all voters, are in a different electoral district, making the app even more useful.