The Voice to Parliament Referendum has failed with the Bendigo electorate having a swing of 60.17% towards no while 39.83% voted yes and 1.01% voted informally.
Credit: Gold Central Victoria.
According to the Australia Electoral Commission, the Bendigo electorate registered 57,683 NO votes while the YES camp recorded 38,181 votes.
Almost 97,000 Bendigo residents showed up to the polls on Saturday to have their say, with over 42,000 submitting their votes at early polling stations.
In a state of 39 Federal electorates, Bendigo has placed 12th in terms of ‘No’ votes. Out of the 62 voting booths in the Bendigo area, it appears only 3 stations turned in favor of the voice, Quarry Hill Primary School, Spring Gully Tennis Club, and the Holy Trinity Anglican Church.
Victorian Premier and Member for Bendigo East, Jacinta Allan, was joined by Federal Member for Bendigo, Lisa Chesters, and First Peoples Assembly member, Trent Nelson, to cast their referendum vote at the Epsom Primary School.
Chesters says it is tradition for her and the Member for Bendigo East to place their votes at the school – usually doing so for the federal elections.
Ultimately, the referendum failed and the Premier’s ‘lucky polling station’ returned a No majority 64 to 36.
Following the failed referendum, Federal Member for Bendigo, Lisa Chesters, is asking Bendigo locals to continue kindness throughout the community.
