South Australia's Labor government has capped off a strong year with a surge in voter support, the latest Newspoll shows.
The News Corp Australia poll, published on Wednesday, shows Labor has a two-party-preferred lead of 53 to 47 per cent over the Liberal opposition.
The Liberals' primary vote has plunged from 44.8 per cent at the March state election to just 33 per cent, with Labor claiming 35 per cent of the vote.
Voters overwhelmingly backed Premier Jay Weatherill, with 47 per cent of voters nominating him as preferred leader compared with 29 per cent for Steven Marshall.
The results will come as another blow to the Liberals, who had been widely expected to reclaim power at the March election after 12 years in opposition.
Despite claiming 53 per cent of the two-party vote, the Liberals failed to win key marginal seats, paving the way for Labor to form minority government with the support of independents.
Labor shored up its parliamentary numbers in May when former Liberal leader Martin Hamilton-Smith made a shock defection, throwing his support behind the government as an independent cabinet minister.
The Liberals' woes deepened in December when Labor claimed a stunning win in a by-election for the southern suburbs seat of Fisher, once considered safe Liberal territory.
Labor's victory was driven partly by a strong negative campaign on federal issues, including Abbott government cuts to health spending and uncertainty about future submarines contracts.
The party now has a majority in the lower house and can pass legislation without the support of independents.
The Liberals have turned their attention to a January 31 by-election in the seat of Davenport, which they held with an eight per cent margin at the March election.
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