There is a real risk that an election in Victoria will "fail" according to the state's electoral commissioner, warning his organisation is under significant pressure.
Commissioner Sven Bluemmel said the state's election is arguably Australia's third largest regular peace-time logistical event and the commission is increasingly relying on labour hire agencies to fill critical roles because it's difficult to retain staff.
He recommended a holistic review of the Electoral Act to address concern it "does not reflect our modern world".
The law was written in 2002 and since then the number of people enrolled to vote has jumped 40 per cent, while twice as many political parties now vie for votes and the number of local council elections has increased.
"Despite this scale and complexity, the prescribed timeline for Victorian state elections is the shortest in the nation," Mr Bluemmel said.
"As electoral participation continues to grow, it is increasingly difficult to meet these timelines and there is no longer any contingency for unforeseen disruptions or failures.
"The risk of an election failure is now real."
The commission is under significant pressure to safely deliver elections with existing resources and regulatory tools in current timelines, he said.
Mr Bluemmel detailed his concerns in the organisation's 2023/24 annual report tabled in parliament on Thursday.
He sounded the alarm on 'deep fakes' created by artificial intelligence as well as social media misinformation or disinformation campaigns that threaten to polarise societies and undermine democratic processes.
"We observe that some parties, candidates, media commentators and members of the public have perpetuated misinformation campaigns in recent elections around the world," the commissioner wrote.
"While Victoria's democracy is strong, it is not immune to these threats."
Mr Bluemmel noted there were several incidents that risked the safety and wellbeing of election staff during the state's 2022 poll, including threats of violence, intimidation and harassment.
Monash University's head of politics Zareh Ghazarian believes the situation is not unique to Victoria.
He said even though elections are getting bigger, resourcing and staffing doesn't seem to be keeping pace, while other bodies are also grappling with the threat of misinformation.
"It is something that is of great concern to national and state electoral bodies, the question of how can established forms of voting be maintained and remain strong in the face of a changing technological and social dynamic," Mr Ghazarian told AAP.
He noted a rise in pre-poll voting meant resources are now stretched for weeks rather than just election day.
"Is it time to reconsider how long pre-poll can be done for? I think that's sort of the question that this is now raising, not just in Victoria but in Queensland and across the country.
"Indeed, is it about thinking about the sorts of restrictions and the sorts of conditions that people need to meet if they were to vote early?"
Mr Ghazarian said the commissioner's comments on misinformation may open the door for debate about truth in political advertising in Victoria, which is currently only law in South Australia and ACT.
"Addressing these sorts of challenges is not just, in my view, up to the VEC or any other electoral commission," he said.
"Addressing these sorts of challenges involves a whole range of actors.
"Schools, government organisations, agencies are fundamental in equipping people with the skills and knowledge they need to be able to identify misinformation and disinformation."
