DistantNews
Support us
🇦🇺 Australia /Elections & Politics

Australians fork out $4 million for failing to vote in federal election

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified New plan
  • Over 1.3 million Australians received notices for failing to vote in the 2025 federal election.
  • Approximately $4.15 million has been collected from 207,000 people who paid the $20 administrative penalty.
  • Compulsory voting is a rare policy globally, with Australia being one of the few countries to enforce it.

Hundreds of thousands of Australians have paid millions of dollars in penalties for failing to vote in the 2025 federal election. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) issued "apparent failure to vote" notices to more than 1.3 million people following the poll.

The obvious good is that it gets everyone involved in elections.

— Jill SheppardJill Sheppard, an associate professor in politics at the Australian National University, describes the benefits of compulsory voting.

Under Australia's compulsory voting policy, all enrolled adult citizens must participate in federal and state elections. While about 90 percent of eligible Australians voted, those who did not face a $20 administrative penalty or a fine of up to $330 if the case goes to court. As of May, 207,000 individuals had paid the administrative penalty, collectively contributing around $4.15 million to the federal government's consolidated revenue fund.

And in Australia that means, even if you feel like the parties don't necessarily speak for you, even if you feel like you're unrepresented by people in Canberra, you still feel engaged with the political process.

— Jill SheppardJill Sheppard explains how compulsory voting fosters engagement despite potential feelings of disenfranchisement.

The AEC is also pursuing some non-voters through the court system. More than 250,000 people will not face penalties after providing a "valid and sufficient" reason for not voting. However, 710,000 electors had not responded to their notices by the deadline, potentially facing consequences for failing to provide a valid reason.

The downside of compulsory voting is that the parties assume that we will always turn out to vote, no matter how boring or how unresponsive or how out of touch they may seem, and that can breed laziness.

— Jill SheppardJill Sheppard discusses a potential negative consequence of compulsory voting, suggesting it might lead to complacency among political parties.

Compulsory voting is a rarity worldwide, with fewer than two dozen countries implementing similar policies. Associate Professor Jill Sheppard from the Australian National University described it as a "net good," highlighting its role in engaging citizens in the political process. However, she also noted a potential downside: parties might become complacent, assuming high turnout regardless of their responsiveness.

At any given time, less than two dozen countries in the world would have some form compulsory voting.

— Jill SheppardJill Sheppard points out the rarity of compulsory voting on a global scale.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog