A record number of Australians enroll to vote in referendum on Indigenous Voice

September 21, 2023 2:49 AM ET
By The Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia — A record number of Australians enrolled to vote in a referendum that would create an Indigenous advocacy body, as the first ballots for constitutional change are set to be cast in remote Outback locations next week, officials said on Thursday.

The referendum to be held on Oct. 14 would enshrine in Australia's constitution an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. The Voice would be a group of Indigenous representatives who would advise the government and legislators on policies that effect the lives of the nation's most disadvantaged ethnic minority.

When enrollments closed on Monday, 97.7% of eligible Australians had signed up to vote, Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said.

That was the largest proportion of any electoral event in the 122 years that the Australian government has existed. The previous record was 96.8% for the federal election in May last year.

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