The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) has reassured voters that their mobile phone numbers are not provided with any enrolment information made available to candidates and registered political parties.
Electoral Commissioner Warwick Gately said some voters in the current local Council elections had become concerned after receiving text messages from Council candidates during their campaigning.
“I understand voters in a small number of wards have received text messages on behalf of candidates for local Council elections,” Mr Gately said.
“The messages were not sent using enrolment information available to them through the VEC,” he said.
Mr Gately said that after being contacted by voters about the origin of their contact details, some Council candidates had mistakenly stated that the phone numbers were provided by the VEC.
“I can definitively state that the VEC does not provide voter mobile phone number or email address details to candidates or political parties,” he said.
“If anyone is concerned, they should take it up directly with the candidate or the person who authorised the message,” Mr Gately said.
