2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum

Australian federal referendum held in 2023

The 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum was held on Saturday, 14 October 2023. Voters were asked whether or not the Australian Constitution should be changed so that a body called the Indigenous Voice to Parliament can be created and so that Indigenous Australians (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) are recognised in the Constitution. This is something that has been called for in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which was published in 2017. The referendum was defeated nationally and in all six states (plus the Northern Territory). The Australian Capital Territory was the only state or territory where the referendum passed, while the state with the highest No vote was Queensland.

2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum

14 October 2023 (2023-10-14)

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?
OutcomeNot carried. A majority "no" vote nationally and in all states.
WebsiteOfficial results
Results
Results
Votes %
Yes 6,286,894 39.94%
No 9,452,792 60.06%
Valid votes 15,739,686 99.02%
Invalid or blank votes 155,545 0.98%
Total votes 15,895,231 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 17,671,784 89.95%

Results by division and state or territory

The referendum was held under the federal centrist Labor government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who promised to voters that he would hold a referendum on the issue if elected. Labor won the 2022 federal election and he announced on election night that he would hold a referendum in late 2023.