Voice referendum 2023: More than 1.2 million Australians have cast early votes

More than one million Australians have already cast their votes ahead of the Voice referendum. See two-minute guide to voting.

More than 1.2 million Australians have already cast their votes ahead of the historic Voice to Parliament referendum day next week.

The Australian Electoral Commission said in just three days, at least 900,000 voters have hit the pre-polling booths across the country, while more than 322,000 eligible Australians have so far returned their postal votes.

In Victoria, 260,508 people have voted so far at the polling centres, followed by NSW (252,357), Queensland (184,113), WA (117,482), South Australia (57,377), Tasmania (15,238), ACT (13,713) and Northern Territory (12,407).

With pre-polling open across the country for Aussies wanting to vote early, here is everything you need to know.

More than 1.2 million Australians have voted already. Picture: AFP

DO I HAVE TO VOTE?

Yes. Referendum day is October 14. Polls will be open from 8am to 6pm. It is mandatory for every Australian citizen over 18 to vote. There’s no option to vote online. If you want to avoid the queues, vote early at a pre-polling stations. To see if you are eligible for a postal vote go to aec.gov.au.

WHAT AM I VOTING ON?

You will be asked to write YES or NO to the following question:

“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 of this proposed alteration?”

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

If the Yes vote wins, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will be officially acknowledged in the Constitution as the first peoples of this country.

The Voice – made up of a number of Indigenous representatives from around the country – will sit on an advisory board and give their opinions on laws and policies that affect their families and communities.

Parliamentarians from all sides of politics will be invited to finalise how the Voice members are chosen and how it will operate.

WHAT DO NO CAMPAIGNERS SAY?

Prominent No campaigner and Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says the Voice is divisive, there are too few details around how it will work and it will add another layer of bureaucracy in Canberra.

Fair Australia urging voters to vote no at the referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. Picture: Brendan Radke

WHAT DO YES VOTE CAMPAIGNERS SAY?

Yes23 campaigner Dean Parkin says a Voice will allow real change to happen in Indigenous communities by allowing those who know best to have a say. He claims a Yes win will be a unifying moment for the country.

Remote communities in Central Australia posing in front of the iconic Uluru after their council meeting to vote 'Yes' to a Voice to Parliament.

WHEN WILL WE KNOW WHO WINS?

In order for the Voice to Parliament to succeed, there must be a special double-majority – a national majority of Yes votes, and a majority in at least four out of the six states.

We should have a reasonable idea of the result that night unless it is very close.

Originally published as Voice referendum 2023: More than 1.2 million Australians have cast early votes