Voting underway in remote parts of Australia for Voice to Parliament referendum
0#nt #wurrumiyanga #tiwiislands #remotevoting
On a dilapidated basketball court, where Yes signs were strewn across front and camp dogs roamed around makeshift plastic tables, residents of the Tiwi Islands began casting their votes in Voice referendum. Highlights Australian Electoral Commission begins remote voting across Australia Sixty teams will visit more than 750 locations over the next three weeks AEC's Tom Rogers says it's "Australia's largest peacetime logistics event" This is remote voting, a massive logistical undertaking run by Australian Electoral Commission's Remote Voter Service, a team of hundreds of workers who will visit the country's most isolated communities over next three weeks. But it already faces major challenges. The 60 teams will travel thousands of kilometers in boats, planes, barges, helicopters and 4WDs to reach more than 750 remote communities to reach voters like elder Bernard Tipiloura of Wurrumiyanga in the Tiwi Islands. The 2023 Northern Territory Senior Australian of the Year's efforts over two decades have led to a dramatic drop in suicide rates, but he says more needs to be done. Tiwi Islands elder Bernard Tipiloura says there are many issues on the islands that need to be addressed. "I firmly believe that people in Canberra are speaking up for us," he said. Another voter said remote communities where most indigenous people live need more support. "Especially regarding dialysis and kidney ," the voter said. “We need more homes for remote Indigenous communities, especially people living too far from medical treatment. “If vote yes, I think we can make a change, make a difference for our people.” Voters in the Tiwi Islands turned out in a sad situation following a recent death. Indigenous registration rate at all-time high ahead of vote Although a ubiquitous debate has been going on within walls Parliament House for months and has spread to most corners Australia, there are still many people in this part the country who have never heard Voice. Mavis Kerinaiua has been holding information sessions in the days before the remote voting teams arrive, with many people attending with little or no information. He said the sessions were a key part of the Australian Electoral Commission's larger effort to get residents registered and voting. "It's very important that people hear both sides of the story in the Yes and No campaigns," she said. Mavis Kerinaiua helped translate Yes and No flashcards The referendum recorded a record 97.7 per cent of Australians eligible to vote; This is an increase of 447,447 people since last year's federal election. First Nations enrollment is at 94.1 per cent, the highest rate ever. But despite the positive registration growth, Australian Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said "Australia's largest peacetime logistics event" would not be without its challenges. “This is like starting a Fortune 500 company in about four weeks and disbanding it a week after the fact,” he said. “We will be visiting over 750 communities. We have 60 teams