Non-voters in borough to be let off fines of $70

Borough of Queenscliffe residents who failed to vote in October’s municipal elections will escape fines thanks to council’s demographic conditions, according to the borough’s chief executive officer.
Lenny Jenner said council chose to exclude itself from Victorian Election Commission’s fine system due to a high number of voter participation, a population majority over 70 years old and a high number of non-permanent residents.
People who fell outside those criteria could then submit a statutory declaration to exempt themselves from voting, making the fining process “financially unviable”, Mr Jenner said.
“The amount of money we would make would be far less than the costs incurred to carry out this complex process,” he said.
Victorian Electoral Commission said Golden Plains Shire had also opted to exempt its residents from receiving fines.
But City of Greater Geelong would write to 15,132 people for an explanation why they failed to vote, the commission said.
Residents who failed to supply a legitimate reason written in a statutory declaration would cop a $70 fine.
Surf Coast and Colac Otway shires had 2093 and 1475 residents who failed to vote respectively.
The commission said voting inn council elections was compulsory for Victorian residents enrolled on the state electoral roll by August 31.