Unless you are one of the millions of Australians who have already voted, you will be heading to the polls today to cast your vote in the referendum on whether there should be an Indigenous voice to parliament enshrined in the constitution.
While there have been years of work leading up to this moment, the official campaign has only run for the past six weeks. The loud and brutal debate has meant many people who are dealing with their own lives and pressures have switched off from what has often seemed like political noise.
So if you haven’t had the space to consider the arguments, still have some questions, or remain unclear on some aspects of the referendum, here is everything in one spot to help you on your way to the ballot box.
What is being proposed?
Guardian Australia’s Indigenous affairs editor, Lorena Allam, summarises the referendum proposal, the history that led to the current moment and the arguments of both the yes and no campaigns here.
Indigenous affairs reporter Sarah Collard has also made this handy video explainer.
What are the cases for yes and no?
The yes and no campaigns put their official arguments forward in pamphlets written by politicians and published by the AEC. We have factchecked both sides.
The yes pamphlet: campaign’s voice to parliament referendum essay – annotated and factchecked
The no pamphlet: campaign’s voice to parliament referendum essay – annotated and factchecked
How do I vote?
Everything you could need to know about voting, you can find here – including where you can find voting locations near you, what time the polls open and close and when the results will be known.
What are people saying about the voice?
Here is the leading yes campaigner Thomas Mayo speaking about the need for a voice to parliament and why he thinks it needs to happen now.
You could also read this from the former Victorian supreme court judge David Harper.
The Indigenous lawyer and mum Bridget Cama writes about how she wants to live in a country where all children have the same opportunities – and says the outcome of the voice referendum will be the legacy we leave for future generations.
The minister for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, makes her case here.
The Liberal MP Julian Leeser quit the shadow frontbench so he could continue to campaign for a voice to parliament. He speaks about the conservative case for yes with Katharine Murphy here, on the Australian Politics podcast.
You can also read the former NSW treasurer Matt Kean laying out his reasons here.
The independent senator Lidia Thorpe has also been campaigning for a no vote, but not for the same reasons as the main no camp. Thorpe is leading the Blak sovereign movement, which disagrees with the voice for several reasons – because they see it as powerless, because they want truth-telling and treaty progressed ahead of it, and because they do not want to participate in a process they did not sign up for.
You can also hear Thorpe speak about the voice and Blak sovereignty here.
Is there anything like the voice anywhere else?
Yes, there is.
An Aboriginal lawyer living in Oslo, Peter Dawson, describes how Norway’s voice has improved outcomes for Sámi culture, health, education and domestic violence. In this comment piece he says the world is watching Australia this Saturday.
What misinformation should I be aware of?
In a brutal campaign, the same debunked claims from the no camp have popped up time and time again. Here we take a look.
There is also a video version of that you can watch, and a podcast on the same topic you can listen to.
What do the polls say?
A Guardian Australia analysis of polling shows support has declined for the Indigenous voice to parliament – from more than 60% support at the beginning of the year, to tracking under 40% in the days leading into Saturday’s vote.
