Is this the truth? If so, WATCH OUT !!

[Les]

G'day all,

I heard today from a third party that failure to vote can lead to almost unimaginable consequences. My question is "Is this the truth?" If it is, it could be a serious "gotcha" waiting to happen...


My associate today shared a story where her friend failed to vote, because she had moved out of her original electorate. This seemed to lead to a string of events that could have been EXTREMELY damaging:-
1. As letters re "failure to vote" went to the wrong (old) address, she didn't receive any of them.
2. This "seemed" to lead to invalidation of her Driver's Licence - huh?
3. The Police picked her up, and presented her with the fact (?) that she was "driving without a licence"
4. The person involved had NO KNOWLEDGE that the licence was invalidated via a previous "failure to vote".
5. Although it DIDN'T happen, had she been involved in any major traffic accident, it is likely that Insurance would not have covered her (because of her Licence being invalid).

And all because of a single "failure to vote".

Say wha? Can this be for real? Or is this strictly urban myth? (I would sincerely HOPE SO). I thought it was "a couple of hundred bucks fine" if you fail to vote - but does it REALLY go deeper than this?

Can anyone shed any light on what is/isn't interconnected when it comes to our rights/licences, etc. Can we be putting ourselves in danger WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE via a "cross-correlation of offences"? (Latter being MY words, but they seem to fit). If true, this is seriously scary stuff!!

Regards,

 

[Strannik]

don't think it's true
i didn't vote on previous elections and didn't even receive a fine and my license still valid

they cannot cancel your license because voting has nothing to do with driving, and failure to vote is not a traffic offence

they can send you summons to court if you refuse to pay thats pretty much it
if you fail to appear then they can arrest you
but you still would keep your license

oh and a fine was 75$ in QLD last time i checked

 

[wanelad]

They may be able to cancel your licence if they cannot validate your address, eg you have not updated your change with the motor vehicles dept as there is a time limit. However not sure this would be influenced by a failure to vote, but whom knows

 

[luce.rocks]

i don't know about cancelling your licence, but i know that you can't renew your licence, or registration or do any sort of transaction that involves money at the RTA while you owe a debt to the Office of State Revenue...

*edit: their systems are linked somehow and OSR can put a block on someone's account with the RTA, so all the RTA sees is 'outstanding fines' and they don't know what for. all they can tell the customer is to contact OSR...

 

[Ruby]

Voting at federal elections has been compulsory since 1924 for all citizens on the Commonwealth electoral roll. Anyone who is unable to provide a valid and sufficient reason to the Divisional Returning Officer for failure to vote at a federal election and who does not wish to have the matter dealt with by a Magistrates Court may pay a penalty of $20 (section 245).
If an elector who has failed to vote refuses to pay the $20 penalty, then the matter may be referred to a Magistrates Court, where a fine of $50 plus costs may be ordered on conviction. Anyone who chooses not to pay the court-ordered fine will be dealt with by the Court accordingly, and this may involve community service orders, seizure of goods, or one or two days in jail. The penalty in such circumstances will be a decision for the local Magistrates Court and not the Australian Electoral Commission.

http://www.aec.gov.au/_content/how/procedures/offences.htm

 

[TheCamel]

if you have unpaid fines, then yea, your drivers license can be suspended etc.. and your car can be impounded...