INFRINGEMENT notices will be sent from this week to Victorians who didn’t vote in the 2020 local council elections and either failed to respond to the Apparent Failure to Vote Notice or did not provide a sufficient reason for not voting.
Around 350,000 Victorians received an Apparent Failure to Vote Notice from the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) that were mailed progressively in February and March.
The VEC is now commencing the initial mail-out of infringement notices over the next four weeks.
People who either did not respond to the first notice, or who did not provide a sufficient reason for not voting will receive an infringement notice which includes a penalty of $83.
Anyone receiving an infringement notice must respond within 35 days, by either paying the fine, requesting an internal review, or applying to go to court.
Electoral commissioner, Warwick Gately, 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 receive a Penalty Reminder Notice which carries the original penalty and an additional fee,” Mr Gately said.
The VEC encourages non-voters who are unsure what to do, at any stage of the infringements process, to call 1300 551 575 or visit vec.vic.gov.au/voting/fines-and-reviews
