I recently got asked to vote in the council where my IP is location - WHY?

Hello all,

This is a bit of a random one, but hopefully someone here from NSW can assist.

I've been a property investor for some time, and for some odd reason a few months ago I got a letter in the mail asking me I need to VOTE for an upcoming election in the City of Sydney, where my investment property resides - it's an apartment in The Rocks, which I've held since 2009, so around 13 years.

This is the first letter I've received from the City of Sydney asking me to vote - I've NEVER lived in the city (always in the suburbs) so the letter took me by surprise and I figured it was a mistake and ignored it.

Then I got a fine issued in the mail saying I didn't vote so I need to pay the fine - I wrote back to them saying I don't live in the city, have never lived there and I've never gotten a fine like this in the past, and that it makes absolutely no sense.

Then I got a letter a few weeks later saying my reason was rejected and I need to pay $55.00.

To stop them annoying me I've just paid the fine, and before I ring them tomorrow to blast them I wanted to ask WHY I've been asked to vote, and is there any legitimate reason they've asked me to do this?

I already voted for both the NSW and recent federal elections in my area, so this doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Please let me know your thoughts on this.

 

Why should your tenants have all the fun?


Seriously though, City of Sydney requires business owners, rate payers, landholders & occupiers to vote as it's more equitable. Businesses want a say in who's on council so do many landlords.

Register to vote as a non-resident property owner, occupier or rate-paying lessee - City of Sydney

 

I thought you had to enrol in the electoral roll of the state, and you really only need to do it for one address, your PPOR.

 

Hi @Scott No Mates - is this requirement only for 'City of Sydney'? I've never gotten such as notice for my other investment properties.

And this year (2022) is the only year I've ever gotten this notice - I've held the same property for the last 13 yrs... why would they only send the notice now, surely they've been other City of Sydney elections over that time?

 

Exactly that's what I thought too.

 

From the link...

"The City of Sydney maintains a register with details of people who may be entitled to vote as non-residents at City of Sydney local government elections.

This includes owners, occupiers and rate-paying lessees of rateable property in the City of Sydney local area who don’t live in the city.

Changes made by the NSW Government in 2015 to the City of Sydney Act 1988 made it compulsory for us to maintain this register and for anyone who meets the eligibility criteria to give their details to us when requested. This requirement is different in other council areas."

Maybe you got away with the previous years. Last year's election was delayed due to covid, the previous one was 2016 which they may not have had a complete register.

 

Ahh ok fair enuff.
Thanks @Scott No Mates

 

I was supposed to vote in it too, but when I asked the staff at my local polling booth about voting in the City of Sydney elections they didn’t let me! My right to vote was withheld from me. I was puzzled and not particularly happy about it. Anyway, soon after I got the letter asking why I didn’t vote and wrote that to them.
I haven’t heard anything back so hopefully they accepted it.

 

Ok, come to think of it, one year my wife had to vote in the City of Melbourne council elections even though we don’t live in that council. I figured it’s because the city randomly choose citizens outside the council to vote. But that’s just a guess. She just voted that one year.

 

Yes this is a City of Sydney thing. I have to vote too as I have an investment property in that council.
I understand that land holders want a vote in an area where they hold property even if they don't live there and I think they should be entitled if they wish. But I don't think it should be compulsory.

Pain in the butt! Thank goodness they don't all do it. What a nightmare that would be.

 

City of Sydney does this since voting by tenants alone could yield vast disparity and fail to represent owners.