THE Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is urging Victorians not to ignore a request for an explanation as to why they appear not to have voted in the last local council elections in October 2024.
The VEC has issued close to 530,000 ‘Apparent failure to vote notices’ and recipients must respond by the 28-day deadline with a detailed explanation.
The notice is an opportunity to avoid a fine if non-voters provide a detailed response with supporting documentation. The VEC is required to automatically fine non-respondents or those who do not provide a valid reason for failing to vote. The penalty is $99.
The VEC issued VoterAlert reminders by SMS and email at key points in the election to 2.5 million enrolled voters who had provided their details.
