Results of the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum
2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum Outcome Not carried. A majority "no" vote nationally and in all states. Website Official results
Choice
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 state and territory Results by state or territory, and division
The 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum was held on 14 October 2023.[ 1] Voters were asked if they approved an alteration to the Australian Constitution that would recognise Indigenous Australians in the document through prescribing a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice . The referendum failed to get either of the two majorities in favour that were both required for the Constitution to be changed:[ 2]
more than half of the total national votes
more than half of the votes in more than half of the states
National
Australian Indigenous Voice referendum
Choice
Votes
%
No
9,452,792
60.06
Yes
6,286,894
39.94
States and territories
Votes cast in the territories are included in the national total for the purposes of determining a national majority, but the territories are not counted for the purposes of determining a majority of states.
Breakdown of voting by state and territory
State/territory
Yes
No
Invalid
Turnout (%)
Votes
%
Votes
%
New South Wales
2,058,764
41.04
2,957,880
58.96
57,285
90.80
Victoria
1,846,623
45.85
2,180,851
54.15
39,038
91.00
Queensland
1,010,416
31.79
2,167,957
68.21
27,266
88.25
Western Australia
582,077
36.73
1,002,740
63.27
13,454
87.50
South Australia
417,745
35.83
748,318
64.17
11,478
91.75
Tasmania
152,171
41.06
218,425
58.94
3,967
92.03
Northern Territory [ a]
43,076
39.70
65,429
60.30
820
71.45
Australian Capital Territory [ b]
176,022
61.29
111,192
38.71
2,237
91.36
Total
6,286,894
39.94
9,125,294
60.06
155,545
89.92
Results
Obtained a majority in no state and an overall minority of 2,838,400 votes. Not carried.
Electoral divisions
Voters lined up at a polling booth in Canning Vale , Perth .
Breakdown of voting by electorate[ 5]
Electorate
Yes votes
Yes (%)
No votes
No (%)
Informal votes
Informal (%)
Total votes
Turnout (%)
Enrolment
Parliamentary seat held by
State
Adelaide
57,227
49.34
58,769
50.66
1,215
1.04
117,211
90.05
130,242
Labor
South Australia
Aston
43,201
42.08
59,473
57.92
1,080
1.04
103,754
93.14
111,346
Labor
Victoria
Ballarat
43,941
42.11
60,399
57.89
1,060
1.01
105,400
92.80
113,517
Labor
Victoria
Banks
38,228
38.95
59,925
61.05
1,357
1.36
99,510
91.41
108,813
Liberal
New South Wales
Barker
25,159
21.89
89,769
78.11
993
0.86
115,921
93.17
124,478
Liberal
South Australia
Barton
44,475
45.03
54,290
54.97
1,440
1.44
100,205
88.94
112,630
Labor
New South Wales
Bass
27,747
38.32
44,670
61.68
761
1.04
73,178
91.45
80,005
Liberal
Tasmania
Bean
56,937
56.34
44,131
43.66
886
0.87
101,954
91.71
111,159
Labor
Australian Capital Territory
Bendigo
42,726
40.53
62,684
59.47
1,004
0.94
106,414
93.41
113,858
Labor
Victoria
Bennelong
51,674
48.59
54,667
51.41
1,160
1.08
107,501
91.66
117,257
Labor
New South Wales
Berowra
46,602
46.67
53,260
53.33
870
0.86
100,732
93.95
107,204
Liberal
New South Wales
Blair
34,395
29.67
81,535
70.33
1,140
0.97
117,070
87.67
133,508
Labor
Queensland
Blaxland
34,476
38.25
55,648
61.75
2,376
2.57
92,500
83.86
110,298
Labor
New South Wales
Bonner
40,622
40.40
59,923
59.60
758
0.75
101,303
90.73
111,611
Liberal
Queensland
Boothby
56,966
47.98
61,756
52.02
1,153
0.96
119,875
93.64
128,093
Labor
South Australia
Bowman
30,282
28.14
77,314
71.86
883
0.81
108,479
90.93
119,263
Liberal
Queensland
Braddon
21,159
27.85
54,810
72.15
844
1.10
76,813
91.90
83,548
Liberal
Tasmania
Bradfield
52,255
52.11
48,025
47.89
899
0.89
101,179
92.34
109,572
Liberal
New South Wales
Brand
32,193
30.82
72,252
69.18
937
0.89
105,382
85.42
123,313
Labor
Western Australia
Brisbane
63,056
56.01
49,533
43.99
766
0.68
113,355
89.21
127,063
Greens
Queensland
Bruce
42,401
42.45
57,495
57.55
1,098
1.09
100,994
88.05
114,664
Labor
Victoria
Burt
32,786
33.42
65,326
66.58
863
0.87
98,975
84.30
117,372
Labor
Western Australia
Calare
32,524
28.79
80,465
71.21
1,091
0.96
114,080
92.68
123,035
Independent
New South Wales
Calwell
38,637
40.09
57,742
59.91
1,505
1.54
97,884
83.96
116,563
Labor
Victoria
Canberra
65,294
70.59
27,205
29.41
622
0.67
93,121
91.48
101,799
Labor
Australian Capital Territory
Canning
24,866
23.69
80,104
76.31
883
0.83
105,853
87.61
120,777
Liberal
Western Australia
Capricornia
19,202
19.30
80,280
80.70
666
0.67
100,148
88.93
112,597
Liberal
Queensland
Casey
45,674
42.37
62,122
57.63
1,114
1.02
108,910
93.85
116,010
Liberal
Victoria
Chifley
44,557
40.43
65,659
59.57
1,576
1.41
111,792
87.73
127,400
Labor
New South Wales
Chisholm
50,919
50.41
50,099
49.59
870
0.85
101,888
91.76
110,970
Labor
Victoria
Clark
39,204
58.12
28,251
41.88
658
0.97
68,113
91.59
74,366
Independent
Tasmania
Cook
37,660
36.74
64,834
63.26
1,072
1.04
103,566
92.54
111,879
Liberal
New South Wales
Cooper
66,053
65.78
34,369
34.22
978
0.96
101,400
90.62
111,841
Labor
Victoria
Corangamite
52,567
48.03
56,875
51.97
977
0.88
110,419
93.92
117,517
Labor
Victoria
Corio
47,666
45.98
56,009
54.02
1,044
1.00
104,719
91.56
114,309
Labor
Victoria
Cowan
39,995
37.51
66,628
62.49
1,201
1.11
107,824
86.67
124,354
Labor
Western Australia
Cowper
40,377
34.01
78,358
65.99
1,428
1.19
120,163
90.98
131,991
Nationals
New South Wales
Cunningham
55,620
51.86
51,624
48.14
1,210
1.12
108,454
91.58
118,357
Labor
New South Wales
Curtin
55,891
51.45
52,741
48.55
833
0.76
109,465
90.07
121,506
Independent
Western Australia
Dawson
19,921
19.98
79,797
80.02
738
0.73
100,456
88.15
113,930
Liberal
Queensland
Deakin
51,213
48.45
54,494
51.55
919
0.86
106,626
93.42
114,108
Liberal
Victoria
Dickson
36,517
34.58
69,083
65.42
834
0.78
106,434
91.78
115,957
Liberal
Queensland
Dobell
38,298
35.50
69,585
64.50
1,267
1.16
109,150
90.69
120,311
Labor
New South Wales
Dunkley
44,996
44.18
56,844
55.82
1,009
0.98
102,849
90.85
113,152
Labor
Victoria
Durack
27,946
27.89
72,269
72.11
718
0.71
100,933
81.25
124,228
Liberal
Western Australia
Eden-Monaro
43,323
39.77
65,615
60.23
1,076
0.98
110,014
93.69
117,366
Labor
New South Wales
Fadden
29,902
26.41
83,337
73.59
1,349
1.18
114,588
86.99
131,655
Liberal
Queensland
Fairfax
39,013
34.69
73,456
65.31
1,020
0.90
113,489
89.50
126,764
Liberal
Queensland
Farrer
27,747
25.00
83,242
75.00
1,011
0.90
112,000
91.69
122,085
Liberal
New South Wales
Fenner
53,791
57.44
39,856
42.56
729
0.77
94,376
90.87
103,856
Labor
Australian Capital Territory
Fisher
36,509
31.39
79,814
68.61
1,175
1.00
117,498
89.28
131,550
Liberal
Queensland
Flinders
44,984
42.65
60,499
57.35
1,037
0.97
106,520
92.50
115,098
Liberal
Victoria
Flynn
16,454
16.28
84,617
83.72
631
0.62
101,702
88.65
114,727
Liberal
Queensland
Forde
29,975
28.17
76,431
71.83
1,212
1.13
107,618
84.99
126,573
Liberal
Queensland
Forrest
32,331
31.00
71,974
69.00
973
0.92
105,278
89.64
117,412
Liberal
Western Australia
Fowler
38,684
39.82
58,466
60.18
1,743
1.76
98,893
87.73
112,695
DLFCN
New South Wales
Franklin
38,267
50.61
37,339
49.39
757
0.99
76,363
93.28
81,864
Labor
Tasmania
Fraser
56,054
57.04
42,226
42.96
1,037
1.04
99,317
87.48
113,489
Labor
Victoria
Fremantle
49,949
46.99
56,341
53.01
988
0.92
107,278
88.78
120,803
Labor
Western Australia
Gellibrand
52,917
52.51
47,852
47.49
910
0.89
101,679
89.33
113,775
Labor
Victoria
Gilmore
45,511
38.62
72,332
61.38
1,135
0.95
118,978
92.00
129,210
Labor
New South Wales
Gippsland
29,635
27.93
76,488
72.07
944
0.88
107,067
91.48
116,974
Nationals
Victoria
Goldstein
57,942
56.16
45,235
43.84
821
0.79
103,998
92.97
111,802
Independent
Victoria
Gorton
41,608
39.06
64,903
60.94
1,187
1.10
107,698
89.88
119,814
Labor
Victoria
Grayndler
75,538
74.64
25,659
25.36
802
0.79
101,999
91.55
111,385
Labor
New South Wales
Greenway
48,771
42.99
64,671
57.01
1,207
1.05
114,649
90.68
126,392
Labor
New South Wales
Grey
23,377
20.56
90,305
79.44
940
0.82
114,622
90.61
126,508
Liberal
South Australia
Griffith
61,128
56.02
47,994
43.98
962
0.87
110,084
89.12
123,514
Greens
Queensland
Groom
24,894
23.68
80,253
76.32
711
0.67
105,858
91.26
115,961
Liberal
Queensland
Hasluck
37,676
34.85
70,419
65.15
856
0.79
108,951
88.01
123,768
Labor
Western Australia
Hawke
35,481
35.68
63,973
64.32
1,030
1.03
100,484
89.74
111,942
Labor
Victoria
Herbert
24,921
24.31
77,586
75.69
741
0.72
103,248
86.27
119,667
Liberal
Queensland
Higgins
60,789
61.14
38,634
38.86
749
0.75
100,172
91.01
110,036
Labor
Victoria
Hindmarsh
45,307
38.44
72,565
61.56
1,276
1.07
119,148
91.85
129,776
Labor
South Australia
Hinkler
21,535
19.57
88,488
80.43
762
0.69
110,785
89.99
123,073
Liberal
Queensland
Holt
43,179
42.98
57,283
57.02
1,008
0.99
101,470
88.73
114,326
Labor
Victoria
Hotham
51,982
49.80
52,394
50.20
1,171
1.11
105,547
89.44
117,958
Labor
Victoria
Hughes
42,133
41.47
59,467
58.53
943
0.92
102,543
94.41
108,588
Liberal
New South Wales
Hume
30,982
26.56
85,687
73.44
1,004
0.85
117,673
93.19
126,213
Liberal
New South Wales
Hunter
34,961
29.09
85,209
70.91
1,262
1.04
121,432
91.75
132,245
Labor
New South Wales
Indi
36,289
33.11
73,315
66.89
963
0.87
110,567
92.57
119,391
Independent
Victoria
Isaacs
52,454
50.57
51,274
49.43
1,080
1.03
104,808
92.18
113,627
Labor
Victoria
Jagajaga
58,070
54.64
48,210
45.36
1,024
0.95
107,304
93.55
114,687
Labor
Victoria
Kennedy
20,697
20.33
81,090
79.67
669
0.65
102,456
84.33
121,512
KAP
Queensland
Kingsford Smith
56,387
55.64
44,961
44.36
1,082
1.06
102,430
88.42
115,814
Labor
New South Wales
Kingston
40,585
35.71
73,060
64.29
1,219
1.06
114,864
91.19
126,033
Labor
South Australia
Kooyong
63,253
59.85
42,433
40.15
739
0.69
106,425
93.21
114,138
Independent
Victoria
La Trobe
39,916
38.49
63,787
61.51
912
0.87
104,615
91.11
114,777
Liberal
Victoria
Lalor
48,124
46.89
54,508
53.11
1,010
0.97
103,642
88.05
117,660
Labor
Victoria
Leichhardt
34,179
34.45
65,044
65.55
827
0.83
100,050
81.81
122,282
Liberal
Queensland
Lilley
48,455
46.56
55,606
53.44
854
0.81
104,915
90.51
115,874
Labor
Queensland
Lindsay
35,490
31.01
78,974
68.99
1,336
1.15
115,800
90.26
128,248
Liberal
New South Wales
Lingiari
22,274
43.54
28,885
56.46
385
0.75
51,544
64.38
80,055
Labor
Northern Territory
Longman
29,361
24.66
89,691
75.34
1,099
0.91
120,151
88.51
135,691
Liberal
Queensland
Lyne
31,017
26.49
86,075
73.51
1,055
0.89
118,147
92.96
126,981
Nationals
New South Wales
Lyons
25,794
32.59
53,355
67.41
947
1.18
80,096
91.88
87,156
Labor
Tasmania
Macarthur
43,619
34.89
81,415
65.11
1,607
1.27
126,641
89.80
140,973
Labor
New South Wales
Mackellar
52,299
50.84
50,562
49.16
1,049
1.01
103,910
92.30
112,551
Independent
New South Wales
Macnamara
63,584
64.61
34,833
35.39
859
0.87
99,276
87.38
113,597
Labor
Victoria
Macquarie
43,814
43.44
57,058
56.56
1,004
0.99
101,876
93.32
109,103
Labor
New South Wales
Makin
35,883
32.12
75,834
67.88
1,147
1.02
112,864
91.59
123,305
Labor
South Australia
Mallee
23,901
21.69
86,273
78.31
836
0.75
111,010
91.20
121,621
Nationals
Victoria
Maranoa
15,594
15.38
85,768
84.62
563
0.55
101,925
89.90
113,363
Nationals
Queensland
Maribyrnong
51,674
51.29
49,070
48.71
1,009
0.99
101,753
91.51
111,154
Labor
Victoria
Mayo
49,995
40.17
74,450
59.83
1,217
0.97
125,662
94.54
133,078
Centre Alliance
South Australia
McEwen
42,268
39.91
63,639
60.09
941
0.88
106,848
92.68
115,285
Labor
Victoria
McMahon
33,029
34.11
63,796
65.89
1,728
1.75
98,553
88.31
111,566
Labor
New South Wales
McPherson
35,801
35.08
66,246
64.92
1,265
1.22
103,312
86.93
118,805
Liberal
Queensland
Melbourne
77,741
77.21
22,949
22.79
698
0.69
101,388
87.27
116,172
Greens
Victoria
Menzies
46,820
45.14
56,891
54.86
1,002
0.96
104,713
92.52
113,112
Liberal
Victoria
Mitchell
47,917
40.67
69,897
59.33
983
0.83
118,797
92.80
127,985
Liberal
New South Wales
Monash
35,884
34.34
68,625
65.66
1,016
0.96
105,525
92.58
113,948
Liberal
Victoria
Moncrieff
32,038
30.80
71,967
69.20
1,139
1.08
105,144
84.67
124,154
Liberal
Queensland
Moore
41,463
37.74
68,413
62.26
880
0.79
110,756
91.50
121,017
Liberal
Western Australia
Moreton
46,961
49.32
48,263
50.68
971
1.01
96,195
88.36
108,852
Labor
Queensland
New England
26,158
24.68
79,846
75.32
911
0.85
106,915
92.12
115,992
Nationals
New South Wales
Newcastle
60,204
53.53
52,260
46.47
1,199
1.05
113,663
91.87
123,663
Labor
New South Wales
Nicholls
25,806
24.76
78,437
75.24
920
0.87
105,163
91.19
115,255
Nationals
Victoria
North Sydney
61,692
59.93
41,254
40.07
851
0.82
103,797
91.74
113,165
Independent
New South Wales
O'Connor
25,937
24.48
80,005
75.52
785
0.74
106,727
87.92
121,388
Liberal
Western Australia
Oxley
41,016
40.25
60,899
59.75
1,046
1.02
102,961
87.20
118,041
Labor
Queensland
Page
37,443
33.02
75,936
66.98
1,230
1.07
114,609
92.25
124,181
Nationals
New South Wales
Parkes
20,859
21.16
77,723
78.84
994
1.00
99,576
89.72
110,934
Nationals
New South Wales
Parramatta
42,734
45.36
51,476
54.64
1,212
1.27
95,422
87.25
109,334
Labor
New South Wales
Paterson
37,243
30.00
86,891
70.00
1,333
1.06
125,467
92.30
135,828
Labor
New South Wales
Pearce
32,408
31.31
71,111
68.69
894
0.86
104,413
86.83
120,227
Labor
Western Australia
Perth
57,950
53.68
50,005
46.32
995
0.91
108,950
87.97
123,816
Labor
Western Australia
Petrie
37,828
33.17
76,214
66.83
934
0.81
114,976
88.82
129,394
Liberal
Queensland
Rankin
32,835
35.26
60,288
64.74
1,050
1.11
94,173
83.78
112,395
Labor
Queensland
Reid
52,659
50.62
51,375
49.38
1,026
0.98
105,060
90.05
116,651
Labor
New South Wales
Richmond
48,067
43.93
61,348
56.07
1,491
1.34
110,906
89.74
123,537
Labor
New South Wales
Riverina
26,810
24.92
80,772
75.08
1,029
0.95
108,611
92.26
117,673
Nationals
New South Wales
Robertson
44,579
43.37
58,197
56.63
1,102
1.06
103,878
91.62
113,332
Labor
New South Wales
Ryan
54,466
52.71
48,875
47.29
677
0.65
104,018
92.02
113,005
Greens
Queensland
Scullin
37,486
38.10
60,896
61.90
1,343
1.35
99,725
89.23
111,735
Labor
Victoria
Shortland
41,463
38.39
66,551
61.61
1,212
1.11
109,226
92.84
117,568
Labor
New South Wales
Solomon
20,802
36.27
36,544
63.73
435
0.75
57,781
79.22
72,936
Labor
Northern Territory
Spence
32,303
27.77
84,000
72.23
1,239
1.05
117,542
88.29
133,226
Labor
South Australia
Sturt
50,943
42.90
67,810
57.10
1,079
0.90
119,832
92.66
129,401
Liberal
South Australia
Swan
44,813
42.75
60,009
57.25
828
0.78
105,650
86.06
122,724
Labor
Western Australia
Sydney
73,333
70.90
30,100
29.10
889
0.85
104,322
85.38
122,228
Labor
New South Wales
Tangney
45,873
41.32
65,143
58.68
820
0.73
111,836
90.65
123,326
Labor
Western Australia
Wannon
35,015
32.39
73,102
67.61
1,010
0.93
109,127
93.39
116,788
Liberal
Victoria
Warringah
57,347
59.54
38,967
40.46
836
0.86
97,150
90.99
106,766
Independent
New South Wales
Watson
39,490
42.05
54,414
57.95
2,043
2.13
95,947
86.44
110,964
Labor
New South Wales
Wentworth
56,732
62.55
33,973
37.45
840
0.92
91,545
87.64
104,435
Independent
New South Wales
Werriwa
41,941
36.77
72,107
63.23
1,915
1.65
115,963
87.12
133,060
Labor
New South Wales
Whitlam
42,042
35.84
75,264
64.16
1,399
1.18
118,705
92.22
128,629
Labor
New South Wales
Wide Bay
26,679
25.19
79,237
74.81
865
0.81
106,781
89.12
119,799
Liberal
Queensland
Wills
63,773
64.88
34,517
35.12
1,124
1.13
99,414
89.41
111,159
Labor
Victoria
Wright
26,180
22.67
89,328
77.33
959
0.82
116,467
88.88
131,027
Liberal
Queensland
Analysis
The referendum result saw a majority of Australians in every jurisdiction other than the ACT vote No to the Voice.
Results of the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice Referendum by polling place
Demographics
Although every electorate with a high Indigenous population voted No, many Indigenous communities in these seats voted Yes. However, turnout in Indigenous communities is low, and in many of them less than a third of enrolled voters actually voted.[ 6]
A study from the Australian National University found that No voters were typically older than Yes voters, and that men were more likely to vote No than women. The study also found that the majority of people who speak English as a second language voted No.[ 7] Ethnic communities were, throughout the campaign, a key demographic for both the Yes and No camps.[ 8]
The vote for the Voice in suburbs with high ethnic populations was split, with election analyst Ben Raue identifying some surprising trends in certain suburbs. For example, of the 15 suburbs with the highest Indian populations, 10 of them voted Yes, despite all but one being located in electorates that voted No. On the other hand, of the 15 suburbs with the highest Chinese populations, only three voted Yes (though all but one had an above-average Yes vote).[ 9]
Geography
The result saw an urban-rural political divide , with regional and rural areas voting heavily against the Voice while inner-city seats voted Yes.[ 10] Seats in the outer suburbs and based around major regional cities typically voted No, but not to the same extent as rural areas.
Every seat in South Australia and the Northern Territory voted No to the Voice, as did all but three seats in Queensland and all but two seats in both Western Australia and Tasmania. Of the seats that voted Yes, almost all of them were inner-city seats in the capital cities, and only two seats in regional cities voted Yes (those being Cunningham and Newcastle, located in the cities of Wollongong and Newcastle , respectively). In contrast, of the 34 electorates with a No vote of over 70%, only four were in the capital cities (Bowman, Forde and Longman in Brisbane and Spence in Adelaide).
Income
The result saw a divide between the upper-class and the middle and lower-classes , with affluent suburbs in inner-city electorates voting Yes. The Voice had long been criticised by its opponents as a progressive and elitist proposal, having been backed by large and influential corporations and donors while being perceived as having a lack of support from ordinary Australians.
Politics
Although Labor backed the proposal and the Coalition opposed it (though one state division of the Liberal Party, the Tasmanian Liberal Party , supported it), the majority of Labor electorates voted No, though the No vote was higher in most Coalition seats.
The Greens and teal independents also backed the Voice. Every electorate held by the Greens or a teal independent voted Yes. The Greens and teal independents hold seats in affluent inner-city electorates in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
Notes
^ In accordance with the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984 , residents of the territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the territory of Christmas Island are included in the Northern Territory for electoral purposes.[ 4]
^ In accordance with the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984 , residents of the territories of Jervis Bay Territory and Norfolk Island are included in the Australian Capital Territory for electoral purposes.[ 4]
References