Missing voters asked to explain absence

(Element5 Digital/Unsplash)

Close to 300,000 Victorians, including Maribyrnong and Hobsons Bay residents, who appear to have failed to vote in the November 2022 State election will have an opportunity to explain why they didn’t vote when they receive an ‘Apparent failure to vote notice’ in the coming days.

Acting electoral commissioner Dana Fleming said the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is urging people who receive a notice to respond with a detailed explanation, as the VEC is required to issue a fine of $92 if a person fails to respond within 28 days.

“An ‘Apparent failure to vote notice’ is not a fine – it’s a chance to explain why you appear not to have voted,” Ms Fleming said.

“If you respond to the notice, you are much more likely to be excused.

“Completing and sending the notice back to us within the 28-day timeframe gives us a chance to consider your explanation and whether you can be excused.”

Voting in state elections is compulsory in Victoria.