On 14 October 2023, an overwhelming majority of Australians voted for the idea that all Australians should be equal. The result of the referendum was historic and can be counted as one of the most significant events in Australia’s cultural and political history.
The foundation principle of liberal democracy that all citizens have equal political rights was supported by nearly 9.5 million Australians. 60.06% of the 15.7 million Australians who voted in the referendum voted No when asked whether they approved of a proposed law ‘To alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.’
In 2023 the Institute of Public Affairs in collaboration with Advance, commissioned a poll of more than 3,500 Australians. The poll was conducted in the week following the Voice referendum held on 14 October 2023.
The key findings of Australians Speak 2023 are:
- Australians voted No because they believed the Voice would divide the country.
- Even with bipartisan support the Voice would have failed.
- Big business and elite support for the Voice likely increased support for No. 4
- More than a third of Labor voters voted No.
- A significant proportion of young Australians voted No. A majority of males in all age groups voted No.
- Social media was the biggest influence on young Australians. Mainstream news media was the biggest influence on older Australians.
- The leaders of the No campaign had significantly higher profiles and approval ratings than the leaders of the Yes campaign.
- Despite the defeat of the Voice, there remains majority support for Indigenous recognition.
This report The Voice: Why Australians voted to be equal, details and discusses the results of Australians Speak 2023. The findings of Australians Speak 2023 disprove a number of claims about why No was successful, including that the Voice failed because of the lack of bipartisanship and that the referendum was ‘crowded out’ by other issues. Australians Speak 2023 demonstrates that a majority of Australians voted No as a matter of principle.
