A post box that may have contained completed ballot packs for Victoria's local council elections has been stolen, prompting the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) to urge voters to complete a new ballot.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the VEC and Bayside City Council confirmed that the Australia Post box at 79 Asling Street, in the well-heeled Melbourne bayside suburb of Brighton, was stolen on Monday.
The council says anyone who submitted their completed ballot packs at that post box between 9am on 20 October and 9:30am on 21 October to visit the Bayside election office in neighbouring Hampton to cast a replacement ballot or call the VEC at 131 832.
Voters from outside Bayside who used the postbox during this time have also been asked to visit their respective council's election office to arrange for a replacement, the VEC said.
With election offices open until 6pm on Friday — the final day to vote — affected voters have been urged to act quickly.
The Australia Post box at 79 Asling Street, Brighton, pictured on Google Maps before it was stolen. Source: Supplied, Google
Could voters whose ballots were stolen face fines if they don't cast again?
For those unable to submit their votes on time, the VEC will issue an 'Apparent failure to vote notice' similar to what they would send to any other non-voter.
A VEC spokesperson told SBS News that the notice gives voters a chance to explain that their ballot pack was affected by the theft, and the VEC will take that into consideration.
Voting in Victoria's local council elections is compulsory for enrolled voters, and those who do not provide a valid reason for not voting may face a fine of $99.
An Australia Post spokesperson told SBS News the business was "currently supporting a police investigation into the theft".
Police investigating Brighton post box theft
Victoria Police said investigators had been told the post box was stolen at about 2.30am on Monday.
"Investigators have been told two men loaded the box into the back of a silver SUV or 4WD and drove off," a Victoria Police spokesperson told SBS News.
"The investigation into the incident is ongoing."
This isn't the first postal incident to affect Victoria recently. Just a week ago, an Australia Post collection vehicle was stolen, impacting nine postboxes in the Mount Waverley and Oakleigh areas.
