Australians are voting on Saturday on a proposal to write its Indigenous people into the nation’s constitution, a referendum that polls indicate is likely to be rejected.
Some 6.13 million Australians have cast their ballots early, with Friday marking the single biggest day of pre-polling in the nation’s history, according to the Electoral Commission. Polling stations in all states and territories will be open until 6 p.m. Saturday for the 9.2 million who haven’t voted. Results are expected to start arriving in the early evening.
Indigenous Australians have inhabited the country for more than 50,000 years. Despite living in one of the richest nations in the world, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders that make up 3.8% of Australia’s 26 million population are more likely to earn less, go to prison and die early.
If the referendum succeeds, Indigenous Australians will be written into the constitution and will gain an advisory body to parliament, known as the Voice. What would be the largest policy change in half a century for the country’s original inhabitants aims to give Indigenous people more say on policies affecting them.
The referendum needs the support of both the majority of total votes and a majority of Australia’s states — meaning four out of six — to pass. Advocates say a rejection would be a setback for Australia’s attempts to reconcile with its First Nations people, while also dealing a blow to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left government that pushed for the Voice.
It doesn’t help that only eight of 44 Australian referendums have succeeded since federation in 1901 and the last one that passed was almost 50 years ago.
All times Sydney
PM Makes Last Pitch (10:20 a.m.)
Albanese was cheered by voters in the Sydney suburb of Balmain as he made his last pitch to the nation to support the Voice to Parliament proposal.
After posing for selfies with children and dogs, Albanese told reporters the world would see Australia in a “more positive way” if the country voted “yes” on Saturday.
“This is an opportunity for Australia to unite, to be strengthened by reaching out to our most vulnerable citizens,” Albanese said.
The prime minister will spend election night in the capital of Canberra, rather than attending the “yes” campaign event in Sydney.
Forrest Votes Yes (9:30 a.m.)
Australia’s richest person Andrew Forrest — who has so far declined to choose a side in the campaign — voted yes, he told the Australian newspaper.
“I haven’t tried to join any great Yes campaign or high-profile virtue signaling for funding,” he said. “I said I will only get involved politically where there is a national security issue or a proper threat to our standard of living. I didn’t see the referendum as that.”
Latest Newspoll (9:30 p.m.)
A Newspoll survey released Friday night found the “yes” vote rising three percentage points to 37%, while those against fell one point to 57%.
While the poll showed some uptick in support toward the Voice, all major surveys still show the “no” vote leading with a significant margin ahead of balloting.
Final Push Ahead of Vote (5:30 p.m.)
Neither sides eased up ahead of polling day, with both saying a potentially low voter turnout could benefit the “yes” camp.
Speaking on Friday afternoon, Albanese said he’d been in at least five different states and territories over the past 48 hours.
“If we’re not going to recognize (Indigenous Australians) in our nation’s birth certificate, basically, now, when are we going to get around to doing it?” Albanese told Nova Radio.
(Updates with pre-polling data in second paragraph.)
