All you need to know about voting in the Voice to Parliament referendum
On Saturday 14 October, a referendum will be held on the proposed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
It is vital that everyone who is eligible to vote considers the weight and importance of the question fully, and informs themselves of the history and issues that sit behind the referendum.
The last referendum in Australia (which proposed that Australia should become a republic) was held in 1999 – before many of our current students were even born! So, here’s a handy guide to the upcoming referendum to help you understand what to do and where to get the right information.
What is a referendum?
A referendum is a vote to change the Australian Constitution. The federal government proposes the change and eligible voters have their say by voting ‘YES’ or ‘NO’.
To pass, the referendum must be approved by BOTH a majority of voters across the nation AND a majority of voters in a majority of states (at least four) – this is called a ‘double majority’.
A referendum is run by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on behalf of the federal government.
At the Voice referendum, the following question will be asked:
A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?
What is the Voice?
The proposed Voice to Parliament will be ‘an independent, representative advisory body for First Nations people’ to advise government and the broader parliament on issues that matter to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It will not have a veto function, and it won’t be responsible for delivering government policy.
The Voice will:
- give independent advice to the parliament and government
- be chosen by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people based on the wishes of local communities
- be representative of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, be gender-balanced and include youth
- be empowering, community-led, inclusive, respectful and culturally informed
- be accountable and transparent
- work alongside existing organisations and traditional structures.
The Voice was proposed in the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart, which was developed through a series of regional dialogues involving more than 1200 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from across the nation.
Do I have to vote?
Voting in a referendum is compulsory for all eligible Australian citizens aged 18 and over. If you’re enrolled to vote for elections, then you’re enrolled for the referendum. You can check your current electoral enrolment online. The federal electoral roll has closed, so it’s now too late to enrol or update your details for the referendum.
You can either vote:
- on the day at a polling place between 8am and 6pm
- at an early voting centre in the two weeks prior to the referendum
- via a postal vote – applications close at 6pm, Wednesday 11 October.
How can I inform myself?
You may have heard differing opinions on the Voice in the media. Whether you’re inclined to vote ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, or you’re not sure at this point, the most important thing is for you to access accurate and credible information.
Be wary of social media – misinformation and untruths are being published by those with extreme views. Instead, try these legitimate resources to inform your vote:
- The Australian Government has released a politically impartial community toolkit with the core objectives of the Voice to Parliament and how it would be set up. Information is available in multiple languages.
- The Deakin Library team has compiled a dedicated resource about the Voice. It prioritises First Nations voices from both the ‘Yes’ and the ‘No’ perspectives, and supports open, balanced and respectful community debate.
- Guardian Australia has published an Explainer on the Voice – this includes fact-checked versions of the official Yes and No pamphlets published by parliament.
- The ABC has published a video: Everything you need to know about the Voice.
- The Australian Electoral Commission, the independent statutory authority responsible for holding the vote, has a dedicated site on the referendum.