A snap poll revealed that more than 62 per cent of Australians have already voted
There are still six weeks of campaigning and controversy to go, but a new poll has given an insight into the likely results of the same-sex marriage postal plebiscite.
Although the result won’t be officially announced until November 15, a ‘snap poll’ by Ray Morgan revealed that 61.5 per cent of Aussies have voted Yes.
On Saturday morning, news.com.au reported that over 62 per cent of voters had already returned their forms, three weeks ahead of the November 7 deadline.
New South Wales, however, is home to the highest number of No voters at 21.5 per cent.
This statistic is surprising, considering that Sydney is home of Mardi Gras and is ‘considered one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world’.
Young Aussies are the most supportive of the Yes campaign with over 80 per cent in favour
Victoria is the biggest supporter with 69.5 per cent voting Yes, followed by WA and Tasmania
State by state, Victorians are the biggest supporters with 69.5 per cent voting Yes, followed by Western Australians and Tasmanians, both with 63.5 per cent, according to the Herald Sun.
Ray Morgan also reported that voters in the younger age bracket are more likely to vote Yes – more than 80 per cent of Aussies aged 18-24 are in favour of marriage equality.
Conversely, only 48.5 per cent of Australian older than 65 supported same-sex marriage but overall, just 17.5 per cent of respondents have actually voted No.
Australians aged 65 and over are the most likely to vote against marriage equality in the survey
Attendees at the Coalition for Marriage’s ‘No’ rally was described as ‘just a sea of old and bitter’
Special Minister of State Scott Ryan predicts that two thirds of enrolled Australians will vote
On Tuesday, a count confirmed that 10 million survey forms had been returned, a jump of 800,000 from the previous week.
Special Minister of State Scott Ryan says he expects a two-thirds return rate of same-sex marriage surveys.
‘We could get very comfortably to two-thirds, which is an extraordinary response and a testament to the conduct of the debate and Australians’ willingness to participate in the survey,’ Senator Ryan told Sky News on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Equality Campaign is pleased with the response rate figures.
The steady increase in survey returns is ‘another reminder of how much Australians care about marriage equality and how the country wants this resolved’, said Campaign co-chair Anna Brown.
John Paul Young sang his hit ‘Love Is In The AIr’ for the Post Your Yes rally attendees on Sunday
Dutton: ‘It will be a win for the ‘yes’ vote and that is my judgment of where the outcome will be’
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton predicted on Thursday that the Yes campaign to legalise same sex marriage will come out on top when results of the postal survey are counted.
Celebrities including Hugh Jackman, John Paul Young and Ricki-Lee Coulter have come out with messages of support for the Yes campaign.
Magda Szubanski, who famously came out as ‘gay-gay-gay-gay-gay-gay a little bit not gay-gay-gay-gay’ on national television in 2012, has made several emotional pleas for Aussies to vote Yes.
Ricki-Lee Coulter was among a stellar line up of singers the Post Your Yes rally on Oxford St
Magda Szubanski made emotional speeches on The Project and A Current Affair about quality