The NSW Electoral Commission has issued an “apparent failure to vote” to Ryde’s Labor candidate Lyndal Howison despite her sharing photo evidence online that she cast her ballot.
Ms Howison narrowly lost out to Liberal candidate Jordan Lane by a margin of just 0.1 per cent during the 2023 NSW election, with an 8.6 per cent swing to Labor in the safe Liberal seat.
Almost three months after the ballot, the western Sydney high school teacher and former councillor took to social media to share the notice from the electoral commission dated June 16.
“NSW Electoral Commission records indicate you (Ms Howison) appear to have failed to vote at the NSW state election 2023 held on March 25,” the letter states.
In response, Ms Howison posted a picture of her placing her ballot in the box with the caption: “Dear NSW Electoral Commission, I promise that I did vote in the NSW election.”
A spokesperson for the electoral commission said the agency was looking into Ms Howison’s ballot, and there were options online for people who had indeed voted.
“It happens time to time that people aren’t marked off the role properly,” the spokesperson said.
The NSW Electoral Commission has been contacted for comment about whether officials have seen Ms Howison’s post and if they planned to pursue the penalty notice.
In NSW, anyone on the electoral roll who does not vote can incur a $55 fine and is given just 28 days from the issuing of the notice.
Voters who do not cast their ballot must otherwise supply a “sufficient reason” for not voting or can contest the fine in court where they face fines of more than $110.
Ms Howison has also been contacted for comment.