explaining the Voice referendum

some time in October 2023. It’s a big deal: this will be the first referendum since the 1999 proposal to amend the Constitution to establish Australia as a republic, rather than a constitutional monarchy.

This means it will be the first referendum in many Australians’ lifetimes, and a momentous occasion regardless of how you vote.

And if passed, it’ll be the first successful change to the Australian constitution since 1977, when the electorate passed three proposals simultaneously: introducing a retirement age for judges, providing for the same-party replacement of casual vacancies in the senate, and giving citizens who lived in Australian territories the right to vote.

Do I have to vote?

implemented will be subject to confirmation if the referendum is passed, but that doesn’t mean the details are not available.

The Indigenous Voice Co-design Process Final Report to the Australian Government, co-authored by Professors Tom Calma AO and Marcia Langton AM, sets out a detailed recommendation on how the Voice should be structured, after 18 months of consultation with nearly 10,000 people and organisations, 115 community consultations in 67 locations, nearly 3,000 submissions, and over 1,000 surveys.

The 272-page report recommends, broadly, that the Voice should comprise a National Voice and a Local & Regional Voice, as follows: n the National Voice will have 24 members, with enshrined gender balance and reflecting a representative cross-section of Australia’s states and territories (and of the Torres Strait). n 35 separate Local and Regional Voices will collectively determine the National Voice members for their state, territory and the Torres Strait.

Each Local and Regional Voice will be distinct and individually run by the communities which it represents, reflecting the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. As the report notes, “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not an homogenous group where one solution will fit all communities”.

When will the referendum be held?

The referendum will be held on a Saturday,

Yes – unlike plebiscites, enrolling and voting in referendum is compulsory for all Australian citizens aged 18 and older, just like an election. If you’re already enrolled to vote, you don’t need to enrol again to vote in the Voice referendum.

And just like an election, there will be pre-polling booths, postal votes, and polling places on the referendum day itself.

Should I vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’?

It’s your vote, and your decision.

At Indian Link, we believe the time has come for Australia to take a step forward in stopping the torment of the powerlessness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in their own country, and to improve Australia’s relationship with them.