Voting begins in Australia in landmark Indigenous Voice referendum

Australians began voting on Saturday in a historic referendum, the first in almost a quarter of a century, to decide whether to recognise its First Peoples in the constitution, as requested by the country’s Indigenous leaders six years ago.
Australians will simply write “Yes” or “No” on the ballot paper, after a question asking whether they agree to alter the 122-year-old constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, and create an Indigenous body, called the Voice to Parliament, that can provide advice to the government on Indigenous issues.
Doors to polling booths open at 8 a.m. (from 2100 GMT on Friday in Sydney and Melbourne to 2400 GMT in Perth), although more than 5 million people have already voted at early polling centres, overseas, or through postal votes. Voting is compulsory in Australia.
Counting of the votes will begin after polls close at 6 p.m. (0700 GMT in Sydney), and the Australian Electoral Commission will release updated tallies as they come in from voting centres.