Victorian Electoral Commission

What types of complaints can you make?

You can make a complaint to VEC about problems that affect the fairness, legality, or conduct of Victorian state or local council elections.

The VEC deals with complaints about breaches of electoral law, including:

• False or fraudulent voting: impersonation or multiple voting.
• Voter intimidation, bribery or undue influence: attempts to coerce, threaten, or bribe voters.
• Misleading election material: false or deceptive statements about how to vote.
• Unauthorised or unlabelled campaign material: including flyers, posters, and ads without proper authorisation details.
• How-to-vote cards: distribution of unregistered or unauthorised cards.
• Campaigning in restricted zones: electioneering too close to a polling place or outside legal limits.
• Tampering with ballots or election materials: interfering with ballot boxes, envelopes, or counting processes.
• Breach of voting secrecy: pressuring voters or attempting to view their ballot.
• Misuse of voter information: using electoral roll or enrolment data for purposes other than elections.
• Illegal or undisclosed donations: breaking campaign finance rules or failing to report donations.
• Failure to vote: non-participation in compulsory council elections.
• Enrolment issues: incorrect enrolment details or failures to update the roll.
• Service or staff conduct: problems with VEC staff behaviour or accessibility of services.
• Election result challenges: suspected errors or misconduct that affect the result.
• Electoral boundary objections: concerns about how district boundaries are drawn or altered.

Jurisdiction:

• The issue must relate to a Victorian election or council matter, and the conduct must have occurred in Victoria.
• There is no strict deadline for most complaints, but challenges to election results or serious breaches (such as vote tampering) are subject to legal timeframes.

Exclusions:

The VEC does not investigate complaints about:

• Political opinions, campaign promises, or general policy debates.
• Who won an election (unless challenged through the formal legal process).
• Councillor behaviour or council governance outside election matters (these go to the Local Government Inspectorate).
• Corruption or criminal conduct unrelated to elections (these go to IBAC).
• Privacy concerns not connected to elections (these go to the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner).
• General feedback or compliments about the VEC (these are not treated as complaints).

Discretion:

The VEC may decide not to investigate if the issue is minor, lacks evidence, is outside its powers, or is better handled by another agency.

Who can you make a complaint against?

You may be able to complain about:

• Individuals, including:
  • Candidates in Victorian state or local council elections
  • Campaign workers, volunteers, or scrutineers involved in election conduct
  • Voters, if they break electoral laws (for example, multiple voting or intimidating others)
  Note: Individuals do not need to live in Victoria, but their conduct must relate to a Victorian election, electoral process, or the Victorian electoral roll.
• Political parties and campaign teams, including:
  • Political parties registered in Victoria
  • Candidates’ official campaign teams and campaign offices
  • Printers, publishers, or distributors of electoral advertising and how-to-vote cards
  • Third-party campaigners registered with the VEC
• Other entities, including:
  • Donors or entities involved in unlawful political funding or donations
  • Organisations that misuse electoral roll information for non-election purposes

The VEC cannot deal with complaints about:

• Federal election participants (candidates, parties, or voters in federal elections)
• General council governance or councillor behaviour unrelated to elections
• Public servants, agencies, or businesses unless their conduct directly involves a Victorian election offence
• Corruption not linked to elections

Are you eligible to make a complaint?

Who can complain?

• Anyone can make a complaint to the VEC. This includes voters, candidates, political party members, campaign workers, or members of the public with an interest in how elections are run.
• You do not have to live in Victoria, but the complaint must relate to a Victorian election, electoral roll, or electoral process.

Do you need to do anything first?

No. There are no pre-steps before making a complaint. However, you are expected to provide clear details and any evidence that supports your concern. If your issue belongs with another body (for example, IBAC or the Local Government Inspectorate), the VEC may refer you there.

Can you complain for someone else?

Yes. You can make a complaint on behalf of another person. If you are acting formally for someone else (for example, supporting a person with disability), the VEC may ask for written authority or consent. For issues of wider public interest (such as misleading election material), anyone can complain without needing to be directly affected.

Other important information:

• Complaints can usually be made confidentially. Your personal information is protected by privacy laws.
• There is no fee to make a complaint.
• The VEC may choose not to act on complaints that are trivial, vexatious, lacking evidence, or outside its powers.

What can this body do to help?

The VEC’s role is to protect the integrity of Victorian elections by investigating and enforcing electoral laws. Depending on the issue, the VEC can:

• Investigate and take enforcement action: look into suspected breaches (such as false advertising or multiple voting). If a breach is proven, the VEC may issue penalties, fines, or refer serious offences for prosecution.
• Issue compliance notices or warnings: for less serious breaches, the VEC can require corrective action (such as fixing unauthorised campaign material) or issue a formal warning.
• Refer matters to other bodies: if the issue is outside its powers (for example, corruption, misconduct, or councillor behaviour), the VEC will refer it to the correct body (such as IBAC or the Local Government Inspectorate).
• Publish public reports: where public confidence is at stake, the VEC may publish reports on investigations, highlight systemic issues, or recommend changes for future elections.
• Support election result challenges: while the VEC cannot overturn election results itself, serious complaints can lead to challenges in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) or the Court of Disputed Returns. The VEC may provide evidence or be called to take part.
• Correct electoral roll errors: if a complaint relates to enrolment issues, the VEC can update and maintain accurate electoral records.

The VEC cannot:

• Provide apologies, mediation, or conciliation between parties
• Award financial compensation
• Force a candidate, party, or council to retract a statement unless required by law
• Investigate general political opinions, campaign promises, federal election matters, or council governance unrelated to elections

The VEC acts only on matters that involve breaches of electoral law. If a complaint is trivial, lacks evidence, or does not relate to election laws, the VEC may choose not to take action.

How to prepare your complaint:

When preparing a complaint to the VEC, include as much clear and relevant detail as possible.

• Your details
  • Include your name and contact details (email or phone).
  • Anonymous complaints are accepted, but they may limit what the VEC can do if there’s no way to follow up for clarification or evidence.
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• Who the complaint is about
  • Provide names of the people, parties, candidates, or organisations involved.
  • If you don’t know names, describe their role (e.g. “campaign worker for Candidate X at Y polling place”).
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• What happened
  • Describe the incident clearly and in order:
    • What occurred
    • When and where it happened (date, time, place)
    • Who was involved or witnessed it
    • How it affected you or others
  • Explain what outcome you are seeking (e.g. investigation, correction of misinformation).
  • Include relevant evidence such as photos, documents, or screenshots.
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• What not to include
  • Don’t include false, exaggerated, or irrelevant claims.
  • Avoid personal attacks or general opinions not connected to electoral law breaches. Stick to facts and evidence.
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• Other important points
  • If the VEC takes action, the respondent will usually be informed, but your privacy will be protected where possible.
  • You can ask the VEC for help in lodging a complaint if you need accessibility or language support.
  • People under 18 can lodge complaints on their own.
  • If you are reporting something that happened a while ago, explain why the complaint is delayed. The VEC may still investigate if the matter is serious.

Lodging your complaint and next steps:

Where to lodge:

• Online form: VEC Complaints Portal
• Email: info@vec.vic.gov.au
• Post: Victorian Electoral Commission, Level 11, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
• Telephone: 131 832 (Mon–Fri, 8:30am–5:00pm)
• In person: Level 11, 530 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 (by appointment only)

Acknowledgement:

• The VEC will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days.
• You will receive confirmation and a reference number for your records.

Assessment and investigation:

• The VEC checks whether the complaint is within its powers.
• If accepted, it assesses the seriousness, evidence, and impact.
• Most complaints are resolved within 30–60 days, though complex matters may take longer.
• If the VEC decides not to investigate, you will be notified and given reasons.

Enforcement:

• If a breach is found, the VEC may issue warnings, compliance notices, or take enforcement action.
• Serious matters may be referred to another body (such as IBAC) or legal proceedings may be supported.
• The VEC does not provide conciliation or mediation between parties. Its role is regulatory.

Outcome:

• You will be told the outcome of your complaint once the assessment or investigation is complete.
• The VEC will explain what action, if any, has been taken and why.

Other important information:

• Keep a copy of your complaint and supporting evidence.
• Update the VEC if your contact details change or you have new information.
• Provide all relevant information upfront. Drip-feeding can cause delays.
• Complaints are handled confidentially, but some details may be shared with respondents if needed to investigate.
• There is no fee to lodge a complaint.

More information:

Refer to the factsheet provided below for more information.