Infringement notices are on their way to Victorians who either didn’t respond to the Victorian Electoral Commission’s (VEC’s) request for an explanation or didn’t have a valid reason for failing to vote in last year’s local council elections.
More than 530,000 Victorians were sent an ‘Apparent failure to vote notice’ by the VEC in February and March. Of those, 15% have been excused for valid reasons, the VEC confirmed.
People who did not respond to the ‘Apparent failure to vote notice’, or who did not provide a valid and sufficient excuse, will be issued an infringement of $99.
Those who receive an infringement notice must respond within 35 days – by either paying the fine, requesting an internal review, or electing to go to court.
Electoral Commissioner, Sven Bluemmel, is urging people who receive an infringement notice to take it seriously.
“The most important thing is that you respond to the notice before the deadline – otherwise, you could be issued a penalty reminder notice, which carries the original penalty plus an additional administration fee,” Mr Bluemmel said.
The VEC encourages non-voters who are unsure what to do, or require assistance throughout any stage of the infringements process, to call 1300 551 575or visit vec.vic.gov.au/voting/fines-and-reviews.
Voting in local council elections is compulsory for all enrolled voters in Victoria, and to make sure no one misses a future election, the VEC encourages Victorian voters to sign up for VoterAlert, a free SMS and email reminder service.
The service alerted 2.5 million Victorians about key election dates in last year’s local council elections. To sign up visit vec.vic.gov.au/voteralert.
The non-voters from the local councils will be mailed infringement notices on the following days:
Monday 14 April
- Alpine Shire Council
- Ararat Rural City Council
- Ballarat City Council
- Banyule City Council
- Bass Coast Shire Council
- Baw Baw Shire Council
- Bayside City Council
- Benalla Rural City Council
- Boroondara City Council
- Borough of Queenscliffe Council
- Brimbank City Council
- Buloke Shire Council
- Campaspe Shire Council
- Cardinia Shire Council
- Central Goldfields Shire Council
- Colac Otway Shire Council
- Corangamite Shire Council
- Darebin City Council
- East Gippsland Shire Council
- Frankston City Council
Tuesday 22 April
- Gannawarra Shire Council
- Glen Eira City Council
- Glenelg Shire Council
- Golden Plains Shire Council
- Greater Bendigo City Council
- Greater Dandenong City Council
- Greater Geelong City Council
- Greater Shepparton City Council
- Hepburn Shire Council
- Hindmarsh Shire Council
- Hobsons Bay City Council
- Horsham Rural City Council
- Hume City Council
- Indigo Shire Council
- Kingston City Council
Monday 28 April
- Knox City Council
- Latrobe City Council
- Loddon Shire Council
- Macedon Ranges Shire Council
- Manningham City Council
- Mansfield Shire Council
- Maribyrnong City Council
- Maroondah City Council
- Melton City Council
- Merri-Bek City Council
- Mildura Rural City Council
- Mitchell Shire Council
- Monash City Council
- Moonee Valley City Council
Monday 12 May
- Moorabool Shire Council
- Mornington Peninsula Shire Council
- Mount Alexander Shire Council
- Moyne Shire Council
- Murrindindi Shire Council
- Nillumbik Shire Council
- Northern Grampians Shire Council
- Port Phillip City Council
- Pyrenees Shire Council
- South Gippsland Shire Council
- Southern Grampians Shire Council
- Stonnington City Council
- Strathbogie Shire Council
- Surf Coast Shire Council
- Swan Hill Rural City Council
- Towong Shire Council
- Wangaratta Rural City Council
- Warrnambool City Council
- Wellington Shire Council
- West Wimmera Shire Council
- Whitehorse City Council
- Wodonga City Council
- Wyndham City Council
Monday 19 May
- Yarra City Council
- Yarra Ranges Shire Council
- Casey City Council
- Whittlesea City Council
- Melbourne City Council.
