The failure of more than 15,000 Wyndham residents to vote at last year’s council elections has resulted in almost $1.2 million in fines being issued.
The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) last week mailed out 15,351 infringements to Wyndham residents of voting age who had not returned their ballot papers by the due date.
A “please explain” notice had been sent out last month, giving potential voters the chance to offer explanations for why they had not voted.
Those who did not respond to the notice or who did not have a valid excuse were fined $78.
A VEC spokesman said there are a number of options for responding to the infringement notices.
“You can pay the attached fine, request an internal review – if you believe it was wrongly issued or if you have exceptional circumstances – or have the matter heard in court,” he said.
“It is important to take action in relation to the infringement notice,” he warned.
“Or the matter will become more serious.”
The number of fines issued to Wyndham ratepayers was the second highest in the western suburbs.
The VEC sent out 15,423 fines in Brimbank, while 11,308 voters in Melton and 5903 voters in Hobsons Bay were found not to have cast their votes.
The Wyndham council election was particularly hard-fought, and every vote counted, with just eight votes separating two candidates in Harrison ward.
In February, Star Weekly heard from more than 50 Wyndham residents claiming they had received notices from the VEC seeking explanations as to why they failed to vote, despite voters claiming they’d sent their ballot papers off well before the deadline.
At the time, spokesmen for the VEC and Australia Post both denied any wrongdoing had led to ballot papers not being counted.
Residents wanting to request a review of their fines can do so online at: www.vec.vic.gov.au/Voting/Fines/InternalReviews
