Support for Indigenous Voice to Australian Parliament Falls

The Voice is a constitutional amendment being voted on this year in Australia, which if passed, would require the government and parliament to consult Indigenous advisors on legislation and bills that involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This includes key areas such as incarceration, employment, housing, health, education and heritage protection.

If polls are to be believed, support is faltering in the nation as the date for the referendum, set for October 14, draws near. Where roughly two thirds of Australians (65 percent) had said that they would support the amendment in one August 2022 poll, now that figure has sunk, with the most recent opinion poll seeing just 38 percent of respondents in favor of the measure.

The following chart is based on The Guardian Australia’s polling results tracker and analysis of trends in the country. The news organization stresses that even with tracking 10 different polling companies to get a more accurate picture, polls can be fallible and tough to compare due to their differing sample sizes and methodologies.

If the Voice act is to pass, it will require a majority of voters to vote yes nationally as well as on a state-wide level, of at least four of the six states supporting the move.