CANBERRA, ACT. — Over 1.3 million Australians have been fined for failing to vote in the 2025 federal election, collectively paying more than AU$4 million in penalties.
A failure to vote initially incurs a fine of AU$20, ignoring the penalty notice quickly escalates things.
In total, during the 2025 federal election, 207,314 Australians paid the initial AU$20 fine, effectively donating AU$4.15m to Treasury.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) can then refer matters to the court should the initial fine remain unpaid.
These penalties can quickly escalate to AU$330 and even lead to criminal convictions in a court of law.
The AEC reviews each case of non-voting on its merits.
“People can provide further information, including if they did vote, providing details of where, when and how they voted or a reason for not voting, or pay the administrative penalty,” an AEC spokesman said.
Revenue from voting fines goes to the Commonwealth Consolidated Revenue Fund.
