Okay we’re really, really having a referendum. On June 19 a bill to amend the constitution passed parliament, but in order for the change to be made it must first be approved by the public.
The referendum on a First Nations Voice to Parliament is going onto calendars across the country for Saturday 14 October.
Most importantly right now this means you need to make sure you’re enrolled to vote and your details are up to date and correct. Enrolment of 18-24-year-olds has increased from 87.6% to over 90% from the end of 2022 in anticipation of the referendum already – the highest enrolment has ever been for this age group!
The official Yes/No pamphlet from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has been finalised to be mailed out to voters and published online here. The pamphlet contains:
a statement containing the proposed change to the Constitution,
the case that is in favour of the proposed constitutional alteration, and
the case that is against the proposed constitutional alteration.
The pamphlets were prepared by parliamentarians who voted for and against the proposed law and had to be authorised by a majority of the members of Parliament who voted, respectively, for and against the proposed change to the Constitution.
The AEC were not involved in the development of the pamphlet material and they were not independently fact checked. The Guardian have published both the Yes and No pamphlet annotated and factchecked.
The AEC will also be producing versions of the pamphlet in a range of translations and accessible formats. These versions of the pamphlet will be made available ASAP (and we’ll link where you can find them when they are).
AND, if you want to work during the referendum register your interest with the AEC. They pay $25.54 to $48.29 per hour, depending on the job!
