A referendum is a vote of the Australian people on a proposed change to the Australian Constitution. In Australia, a referendum is used to approve a change to the Australian Constitution, while a plebiscite is used to decide a national question that does not affect the Constitution. The referendum must be held between two and six months after the bill passing both houses of parliament. In order for the change to the Constitution to be validated, the referendum needs to gather a majority of votes in favor at the national level as well as in at least four of the six states, which is known as a double majority.
The 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum will be held on October 14, 2023. The question that will be put to voters is whether to alter the Constitution to recognize the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Before the referendum is held, members of parliament prepare arguments for or against the proposed change. These are sent to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), which is in charge of running federal elections and referendums. The AEC arranges for the Yes' and 'No' cases, along with a statement of the proposed change, to be posted to every Australian on the electoral roll. Voting in a referendum is compulsory for those on the electoral roll, in the same way that it is compulsory to vote in a general election.
