Governor-General David Hurley has issued the writ for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum.
The writ formally sets the referendum in motion and confirms its timeline.
Postal vote applications opened on Monday, September 11 and close on Wednesday, October 11 at 6pm.
Residents over 18 years must ensure they are enrolled to vote before the referendum deadline of 8pm on Monday, September 18.
This can be done by going to https://www.aec.gov.au/referendums/enrol/enrol-to-vote.html.
Early voting in NSW starts on Tuesday, October 3 - after the NSW Labour Day long weekend.
Early voting in Victoria starts on Monday, October 2, and remote voter services will begin on Monday, September 25.
The formal voting day is Saturday, October 14.
The question to be asked of all Australians is as follows:
A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?
To vote, you must write either yes or no in the box provided on the ballot paper.
• For a copy of the Australian Electoral Commission’s Yes/No Pamphlet on the 2023 referendum, go to https://www.aec.gov.au/referendums/learn/the-yes-no-booklet.html. A fact checking tool is available to the general public at https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/schools-colleges/media-and-communication/industry/factlab/crosscheck/voice-to-parliament-referendum.