ALMOST 600 penalty notices have been sent to Balranald and Wakool shires residents whose vote was not recorded in last year’s local government elections.
A spokesperson for the New South Wales electoral commission said 248 penalty notices had been sent to Balranald residents, while 340 notices had been distributed in Wakool shire.
For New South Wales residents, the penalty for failing to vote at a state election or local government election is $55, however a court may impose a fine of up to $110 plus court costs.
In Wakool shire’s Ward A, only 54.5 per cent of registered voters submitted a vote, a significant decline, down from the previous election turnout of 64.86 per cent.
Cr Andrew Douglas finished just 18 votes ahead of candidate Anne Crowe to claim victory in A Ward.
Voting was not held in Wakool’s two other wards, as the number of candidates did not exceed the number of council positions.
A far greater number of Balranald residents submitted a vote, with the participation rate across the shire sitting just above 79 per cent.
The previous local government election in 2008 attracted a participation rate of 83.4 per cent across New South Wales.
