Sky News Australia’s election analyst Tom Connell says the voice referendum results should come in fast on October 14

Millions of Australians will be closely watching the referendum results on October 14 and experts say it should be quickly determined if the Yes or No vote is successful.

The millions of Australians eager to know the referendum outcome next Saturday will find it a much “simpler and quicker” count than they expect, with a result likely to be determined early, Sky News Australia’s chief election analyst Tom Connell says.

For months the referendum debate has dominated the headlines, but when the counting begins on October 14, Connell said early trends are likely to show the No vote ahead.

“We know the first votes that will be coming in across each state and nationally will favour the No camp, because they are smaller booths in regional and rural areas,” Connell said.

“Then the bigger areas come in and that favours Yes, so it’s all about deciphering that No is doing better, but is it ahead enough for it to be winning at a national and state level?”

Sky News will begin its in-depth coverage next Saturday at 5pm AEDT led by chief news anchor Kieran Gilbert, joined by panellists including political editor Andrew Clennell and hosts Chris Kenny and Peta Credlin.

Sky News Australia presenter Peta Credlin will take part in the news channel’s voice referendum coverage on October 14.

Sky’s coverage will also include Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, Nationals leader David Littleproud, Indigenous affairs commentator Anthony Dillon and former Labor minister Stephen Conroy, as well as hosts Paul Murray, Laura Jayes and northern Australian correspondent Matt Cunningham.

Connell said Sky viewers would be shown the Yes and No vote tallies nationally and at state level, and there would also be a drilling down to electorate level.

ABC election analyst Antony Green has covered the results of more than 90 elections during his career and agrees this referendum – the first one for 24 years – should get a result early.

“The structure of a referendum means basically every polling place in the country has the same ballot paper and it’s a two-candidate contest, Yes versus No in one box,” Green said.

“The very small polling places which are taking 200 or 300 votes maximum will come in very quickly, most of those are in the country so the figures will be dominated by small rural booths and then over the next hour or so you will start to get bigger booths from the city.”

Despite the No vote remaining well ahead in the polls, many people will watch with interest to see if the country supports or rejects the proposal to “alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice”.

Green said: “We don’t have predicted numbers for this referendum so we are going to show raw numbers,” he said.

ABC's election analyst Antony Green. Picture: Supplied.

“We are not calling 151 electorates, but it’s more difficult because we don’t have this predictive stuff based on history. But in another sense it’s simpler because you are operating on statewide votes.”

During federal elections the TV networks have wall-to-wall coverage on news channels, but some stations will pay little attention to the voice next weekend.

The ABC will begin its coverage at 5.30pm and include David Speers, Bridget Brennan, Patricia Karvelas, Laura Tingle, Isabella Higgins and Green.

The major networks are still working out their schedules. TV guides show Seven will air just a 30-minute program at 7pm, while a Nine spokeswoman said the channel will air a special referendum edition news bulletin.

On Ten spokesman said the station would provide special coverage, including mini-bulletins at the top of each hour and said national affairs editor Hugh Riminton and political editor Ashleigh Raper will lead a longer 30-minute bulletin once a result is reached.

On SBS from 7.30pm a two-hour program, The Point: Referendum Road Trip, led by John Paul Janke and Narelda Jacobs, will air.