The final results of the voice referendum have been formally confirmed, after Australians emphatically rejected the proposal for an Indigenous advisory board.
Australians in October voted on whether an Indigenous advisory group should be enshrined in the constitution.
The outcome became clear within hours of polls closing but it was not formally confirmed until the referendum’s writ was returned to Governor-General David Hurley yesterday.
The Australian Electoral Commission conducted two counts nationally and in all six states to achieve a mathematically certain result.
To pass the referendum, the proposal needed a majority of ‘yes’ votes in at least six states and nationally, but it achieved neither.
Nearly 16 million Australians cast their vote with 60 per cent voting ‘yes’, 40 per cent voting ‘no’ and 155,545 submitting informal ballots.
The only jurisdiction that voted ‘yes’ was the ACT, where 61 per cent – 176,022 people – supported the voice.
But the ACT and the NT are not considered states and do not count towards the double majority.
In the NT, the jurisdiction with the highest proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, 40 per cent of its population voted in favour of the voice, while 60 per cent voted against it.
Queensland was the state most opposed to the proposal with just 32 per cent, or 1,010,416 people, voting ‘yes’ and more than twice as many voting ‘no’ at 68 per cent.
South Australia was not far behind with 64 per cent against the voice and 36 per cent in support, followed by Western Australia with 63 per cent voting ‘yes’ and 37 per cent voting ‘no’.
Tasmania and NSW showed remarkably similar results with 59 per cent opposed to the voice and 41 per cent in favour in both states.
With 46 per cent voting ‘yes’ and 54 per cent voting ‘no’, Victoria had the closest result of any state.
AAP
