Voters show strong, sustained interest in Indigenous voice to parliament debate: Google data

Analysis of Google Search trends data shows there has been far more interest in the voice to parliament in the last eight months than there was in the 2022 federal election a similar time period before voting day.

Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, right, and wife Lucy, left, campaigning for the Yes vote for the voice to parliament. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Voters have shown sustained, strong interest in the conversation around the voice to parliament, analysis of Google Search trends data shows.

There has been steady search interest in the voice for almost a year, compared with the 2022 federal election, which started generating Australian Google Search interest only about 18 weeks before voting day.

In the past eight months, weekly Google Trends data shows Australians have consistently made search inquiries relating to the voice to parliament.

The volume of this search interest has been multiple times greater than there was for the federal election in the same time period before polling day.

Google data also showed search interest for the voice to parliament was highest per capita in the politically engaged ACT, followed by the Northern Territory and South Australia. At the other end of the scale were Queensland and Victoria.

No campaign leader Warren Mundine told The Australian this comported with his campaigning experience.

“There’s a lot more interest in this [than in a federal election] because it’s about a change in the Constitution,” he said.

“Governments, they change every one or two elections, but this thing, it’s about changing the basis of the law in Australia.

 

“When we have these events, people come with written notes, with a list of questions they want to ask.

“You can tell – because of the questions – it’s obvious they’ve done research and read the pamphlet.”

A spokesperson for the Yes campaign said “with the date announcement this week, we expect more and more Australians will start to turn their attention to the referendum”.

Nonetheless, pollsters like SEC Newgate say lower voter turnout could impact the outcome of the referendum.

“The average stated likelihood to vote amongst Yes voters is quite high at 8.3 out of 10 but significantly lower amongst No voters at 5.4,” SEC Newgate research partner David Stolper told The Australian earlier this week.