Enrolment skyrockets ahead of 2023 referendum

By Taylah Baker

Jul 26, 2023

**Keeping count:** Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers says the increase in enrolments in the lead-up to the 2023 referendum is a “modern democratic miracle”.

The Australian Electoral Commission says the forthcoming referendum on the Voice to Parliament will have the broadest democratic participation for any federal electoral event in Australia’s history, and a northern Victorian seat’s rate of registration is among the nation’s highest.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

The AEC said the national enrolment rate had reached 97.5 per cent, the highest ever.

The seat of Indi, though, which takes in Benalla, has recorded an ever better figure of 98 per cent or above.

Nicholls, which includes Greater Shepparton, Echuca, Cobram, Seymour, Rochester and Kyabram, is slightly lower, but still sits in the 95 to less than 98 per cent band.

The southern NSW seat of Farrer, which covers Deniliquin and Finley, is also in the 95 to 98 per cent band.

The AEC said the results marked a significant advancement in the country’s democratic participation ahead of the 2023 referendum.

The high results have also been reflected in the national rate of Indigenous Australians enrolling, which has climbed to 94.1 per cent, the first time ever it has gone above 90 per cent.

Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers hailed the results as a “modern democratic miracle” and followed years of work by the AEC.

“Enrolment continues to go up nationally, every state and territory’s enrolment rates are at, or near, record highs, traditionally lower enrolled sections of society have their enrolment rates keep going up, it’s a phenomenal success story,” Mr Rogers said.

“The success hasn’t happened by chance, we look at it carefully every day, we’ve adopted new solutions to get people enrolled and they’re working.”