Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has officially announced the date of the upcoming referendum on The Voice to Parliament.
Australians will vote on whether an Aboriginal and Indigenous Voice to Parliament should be enshrined in the constitution on October 14.
According to voice.gov.au, Australians will be asked to answer 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 this proposed alteration?"
Voting will work similarly to that of an election, in which Australian residents must go to a polling ground and fill out a ballot paper. More information on where these will be held is yet to come.
If you are enrolled to vote in elections, you are enrolled to vote in the referendum. You do not need to enrol again.
What is the Voice to Parliament?
The Voice would provide permanent representation and recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution. It would be a new body that represents First Nations people from across Australia to provide their input into federal government, decisions, policies, and laws that affect their lives.
This would be on matters relating to the social, spiritual, and economic wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The Voice would be an advisory body, but it would not have powers to overrule parliament, commonly known as "veto" powers.
Choosing to vote either yes or no is a decision up to each individual.
We encourage our community to inform themselves with accurate information – some of which you can find below.
