The Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum is being held on 14 October, with millions of Australians casting their ballot at polling stations across the country.
Is it compulsory to vote in the Voice referendum?
All eligible Australian citizens aged 18 years and over are required by law to have enrolled and to vote in the first referendum in nearly a quarter of a century.
If you do not vote, which is illegal, you will receive a failure to vote notice from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), be forced to explain why you did not vote and may be fined.
Where can I vote in the referendum?
Physical polling booths will be available at local schools, churches and community halls, or public buildings on 14 October. The locations of these polling places are available on the .
Is it too late to enrol to vote in the referendum?
If you haven't already enrolled to vote or confirmed your enrolment details, it's too late. Enrolments closed in September, and if you aren't enrolled, you are unable to participate in the referendum.
However, you will already be on the electoral roll if you have previously voted in a federal election.
The AEC may also have enrolled you or updated your details if they have obtained your details from another government agency, which the law allows them to do.
You can check your details on the AEC website.
Who has already voted in the referendum?
Remote communities were first to vote in the referendum, with services opening on 25 September.
The AEC said earlier this year its remote voter service team would visit approximately 35 per cent more remote communities and spend 80 per cent more time in them compared to federal elections.
Earlier this week, the AEC said approximately four million people had already voted in the referendum at an early voting centre, while approximately two million had applied for a postal vote. It said about 125,000 people had voted via an AEC mobile polling team, including 23,000 in remote communities, as well as others in aged care facilities, mental health facilities and prisons.
For Australians voting overseas, the in-person voting services returned to pre-pandemic levels – with around 100 in-person overseas voting centres available, with fast-tracking arrangements as there were during the 2022 federal election.
Telephone voting was made available for voters who are blind or have low vision, as well as Australians stationed in Antarctica.
Stay informed on the 2023 Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum from across the SBS Network, including First Nations perspectives through NITV.
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