314Penalty notice to be issued for failure to vote

#### 314 Penalty notice to be issued for failure to vote 314 Penalty notice to be issued for failure to vote > > (1) The Electoral Commissioner is to serve a penalty notice on each resident who is indicated on the list prepared under section 313 as appearing not to have a sufficient reason for failing to vote at an election. > > > (2) A penalty notice is to be served within 3 months after the close of the poll at the election to which it relates and, if not served personally, is to be served by post at the address of the resident last known to the Electoral Commissioner. > > > (3) A penalty notice is a notice in the form prescribed by the regulations to the effect that, if the resident does not desire to have the failure to vote dealt with by a court— > > > > > (a) the Electoral Commissioner must be given, within a time stated in the notice, a sufficient reason for the failure to vote, or > > > > > (b) a penalty of 0.5 penalty unit must be paid to the Electoral Commissioner. > > > (4) If, within 28 days after service of the penalty notice, the Electoral Commissioner is given a sufficient reason for the failure to vote or the penalty is paid, the resident is not liable to any further proceedings for the offence to which the penalty notice relates. > > > (5) If an insufficient reason for a failure to vote is given in response to a penalty notice, the Electoral Commissioner is to include a statement to that effect in any penalty reminder notice served under the [Fines Act 1996](/view/html/inforce/current/act-1996-099) in relation to the penalty notice. > > > (6) For the purposes of this section, it is a sufficient reason for a failure by a resident to vote if the Electoral Commissioner is satisfied that the resident— > > > > > (a) is dead, or > > > > > (b) was absent from the area on polling day, or > > > > > (c) was ineligible to vote, or > > > > > (d) had an honest belief that he or she had a religious duty to abstain from voting, or > > > > > (e) (Repealed) > > > > > (f) was unable to vote for any other reason acceptable to the Electoral Commissioner. > > > (7) If a penalty notice is served, the Electoral Commissioner is to note on the list prepared under section 313, or on a separate list of the residents on whom penalty notices have been served, whether or not there has been a response to the penalty notice and, if there has been a response, whether a sufficient reason has been given, or a penalty paid, for the failure to vote. > > **s 314:** Am 1998 No 141, Sch 1 \[11\]–\[14\].