Why did Australians vote against the Voice?

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-06-06 03:00

Australia; NSW

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The 2023 referendum on establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament likely failed mostly due to Australians voting along party lines and a belief that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders do not face significantly more discrimination in Australia, according to a survey of voters. From just before the referendum to January 2024, 1150 people participated in a survey that investigated the reasons behind their vote in the referendum. The researchers say Coalition voters were more likely to have voted no - continuing a long-standing record of Australian referendums failing without bipartisan support. They say those with low trust in politicians, little to no understanding of what the Voice was and a belief that discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians is no stronger than discrimination against white Australians were more likely to vote no.