Voice exit poll Cairns: No’s edging the Yes vote in latest pre-poll votes

The Cairns Post has spoken to over 50 early voters across the city as they headed to the poll to cast their vote in the Voice Referendum. See the results of the exit poll.

Exit polling of more than 50 people at two pre-polling booths for the Voice in Cairns is showing No voters edging out the Yes.

The Cairns Post spoke to more than 32 people as they exited the polls at the Commonwealth Centre voting booths in the city centre, one week on from polls opening.

Of the 32 people spoken to by the Post, 17 said they had voted No, while 15 said they had voted Yes.

Across the city at Raintrees Shopping Centre in Manunda voters were similarly split with 12 saying they voted No and another eight said they voted Yes.

Long-time Cairns resident Ash Balderson said he had voted No as did not believe a national body would serve the needs of Indigenous Australians.

Cairns locals have taken advantage of pre polling stations already open in Cairns to cast their vote in the Voice to parliament referendum. Judith Fuss voted no and Pearl Modric voted yes when they visited the ballot box together at the pre polling centre in the Commonwealth offices on Grafton Street. Picture: Brendan Radke

“I lived here my entire life, I grew up with a lot of Indigenous people and they’re all wonderful and this is not right.” Mr Balderson said.

“It should be organised on a basic local level, there’s so much money that’s been invested and it’s wasted.”

Yes voter Daniel Perotti said the vote was an important step towards achieving equality between First Nations people and the rest of Australia.

“I do agree with the premise of recognising First Nations People via this vote,” Mr Perotti said.

“I think its important to vote Yes because Indigenous people aren’t recognised in the constitution as is and I think this will do a lot to change that for the better.”

Murray Island resident Wilfred Dennis Passi said he had changed his thinking on the Voice.

“I put down Yes, I was originally going to go no, but I changed my mind,” Mr Passi said.

“I voted that way because black people have to be recognised.

“Where I come from on Murray Island we’ve got no rights left, so why I vote Yes is, if someone can bring that up in parliament, that would be good for us,” he said.

No voter Nindra Blair said she cast her vote as such because she did not believe the referendum would affect change.

“The thing is, is that we can take all the advice from everyone else and ultimately the government can decide against that anyway – which is what’s already happening,” she said referring to the advisory nature of the Voice to parliament.

“The communities can complain and say we need this and that and the government’s still do nothing. It’s not going to change anything.”

Originally published as Voice exit poll Cairns: No’s edging the Yes vote in latest pre-poll votes