Alleged Vote Tampering in Melbourne Councils Under Investigation

The Victorian Electoral Commission has detected suspicious postal ballots in Knox and Whittlesea, prompting a police investigation and potential legal review.

• The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) has referred nearly 200 suspicious ballots from Knox and Whittlesea council elections to police for investigation.
• Councillors Peter Lockwood and Stevan Kozmevski, whose election wins are under scrutiny, deny any involvement in the alleged vote tampering.
• The VEC detected 128 suspicious ballots in Whittlesea's Lalor ward and 61 in Knox's Baird ward, raising questions about the integrity of the election results.
• The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) will review the election outcomes, which could result in a new poll if the results are deemed invalid.
• The investigation follows a similar 2020 vote tampering case, prompting calls for improved electoral safeguards and a potential return to in-person voting to prevent future issues.

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The Sydney Morning Herald The Guardian Australian Broadcasting Corporation