A referendum will be held this year on whether to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has launched a national information and advertising campaign, reminding voters in the lead up to the 2023 referendum that
Your Answer Matters.
The campaign aims to help eligible Australians get ready for the upcoming referendum by providing a range of information and resources about the purpose and process of a referendum, as well as how to take part.
As all Australian citizens aged 18 and over are required to vote in the referendum, it’s important this campaign reaches and is understood by voters from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.
Education kit
Find helpful information and translated resources about the upcoming referendum in 34 languages.
Download the education kit here
This kit includes content and images for social posts and organisation newsletters, and links to in-language resources including the following factsheets.
- Referendum general factsheet details how, when and where to vote and outlines how the referendum result is decided.
- How to vote factsheet explains how to complete the referendum ballot paper.
- Stop and consider factsheet raises awareness that disinformation might be circulating and encourages voters to check the source of what you see, hear or read.
Telephone interpreter services are also available, with 19 dedicated language lines and a general line for other languages. Visit the AEC translated resource page for details.
Community information sessions
The AEC has also engaged Social Policy Group to conduct in-language referendum community information sessions for CALD communities across Australia.
The sessions will share information on:
- What the Constitution is
- What a referendum is
- How to participate in a referendum
- How to enrol to vote (or update your information)
- How to make your vote count
- How the results of a referendum are decided
These sessions are designed to support the participation of CALD communities in the referendum, and are strictly politically and issue neutral.
To find out more information about upcoming sessions email [email protected]. Or visit referendum resources for access to resources to run your own information sessions.