Why most referendums fail

The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the referendum was a moment of disagreement that doesn’t define us. But what’s the lasting impact of it? And what does the resounding No vote say about Australia and our democracy? Today, the hosts of The Voice Referendum Explained podcast, Fran Kelly on Gadigal land in Sydney and Carly Williams from Minjerribah North Stradbroke Island, on the failed referendum and what happens next.Featured: Fran Kelly, ABC presenterCarly Williams, ABC national Indigenous correspondent

On the eve of the referendum, we're bringing you one more bonus episode of The Voice Referendum explained. Carly and Fran were joined by the ABC's elections analyst for a live session answering some of our audience's biggest questions about the referendum.

With just days to go until the Referendum, Carly and Fran take a look at the campaign and what you need to know before you vote. We'll also outline the arguments we've heard from both sides about the vote.

There have been concerns about increased levels of racism during the campaign, particularly as the debate gets more heated and the date draws closer. So what will a yes or a no mean for reconciliation in this country? And how will the referendum be viewed overseas?

The Prime Minister says 80% of Indigenous people support the Voice, but where does that number come from? In this episode we take a closer look at what we know about how Indigenous people will vote.Also, some Indigenous people who are voting “No” say they want to see Treaty first. It’s not what we are voting on in this Referendum but throughout the campaign we’ve often heard about Treaty. So what would a treaty look like in the future and is it likely to happen?

There are all sorts of claims and down-right lies doing the rounds in the run up to the referendum. Misinformation and disinformation have become a huge issue in this campaign, with both sides accusing the other of either hiding the truth or spreading untruths. In this episode, we look at how the campaigns are going and why false claims and fear seem to have taken hold over facts.

Australia has held 44 referendums since 1901, but only 8 of them have succeeded. So why are constitutional changes so unpopular? The polling science does provide some insight into why the bar is set so high for these campaigns, and a historical view gives us a hint of what may lay in store for the upcoming vote.Crucially, this episode also explains exactly what you can and can’t write on your ballot paper to make sure your vote is valid.

There’s been plenty of focus on youth crime and disadvantage in Aboriginal communities this year,. How can we actually improve the lives of young Australians who are terribly over-represented in our justice system?In this episode, two Indigenous community leaders committed to making a difference explain their very different perspectives on the impact a Voice to Parliament could make on communities around the nation.

Many of the ideas for the Voice and the coming referendum were shaped at a summit five years ago. But some of the major fights started there too. In 2017, Indigenous leaders from around the nation met at Uluru for a constitutional convention that sought to build consensus between communities on a journey towards constitutional recognition of Australia’s First Nations people.That convention resulted in the creation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a crucial document that articulated a vision of a better future. But there was not unanimous support for this process at the summit, sparking many of the arguments within the Indigenous community that have persisted in the lead-up to the 2023 referendum.Find all episodes of The Voice Referendum explained on the Listen app

The last attempt to change Australia's constitution was 24 years ago, and it failed miserably. So when we are all asked to vote later this year on the creation of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, what are we voting for? What would a Voice actually do? And why is this all so important?Find all episodes of The Voice Referendum explained on the Listen app