Voice referendum results LIVE: Tearful Anthony Albanese breaks his silence as Australia votes No in EVERY state – as Yes campaigners slam ‘misinformation’ and declare week of mourning

The Indigenous Voice to Parliament has been rejected by the Australian people at the referendum.

Tasmania was called first for the No camp – a key swing state – shortly after 7pm AEST, followed by New South Wales about 7.15pm and South Australia about 7.25pm.

Queensland, the Northern Territory and Victoria all followed. Just an hour after polling booths closed in Western Australia, the result was clear enough to call there, too.

It is a resounding victory for the No campaign, with a No vote the outcome in every state, and one territory. The Australian Capital Territory has secured the only Yes vote.

The bruising campaign has cost the government – and Australian people – $365million.

Leading Yes campaigners Thomas Mayo and Dean Parkin have expressed their devastation with the result from their Yes camp event in Sydney tonight.

Both men appeared devastated when they addressed the media and their supporters.

They lashed the No campaign as ‘misinformation’ and said the Australian public had the appetite for the proposal, but were spooked by the complaints and criticism from the No camp.

Labor senator Jana Stewart, who has been an avid campaigner throughout the referendum debate, has shared a heartfelt update to social media.

After removing her profile picture on the app, Senator Stewart shared a black square to her Instagram feed.

‘No words for tonight except to say we are not ok, we are grieving. Rest is resilience.

‘Touch base on Monday,’ she wrote, alongside an emoji of a broken heart.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has acknowledged the result of the referendum, but vowed to continue working with First Nations Australians to make sure their voices are heard.

He said: ‘The results are in, and it’s important we respect that decision.

‘But this remains clear. The status quo isn’t working, so we’ll work to deliver the best outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW. Each and every day.’

Mr Minns was pictured alongside Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney casting his vote in their electorate in southern Sydney.

He said in spite of the disappointing result, he will continue working toward ensuring Indigeonus people’s ‘voices are heard in NSW’.

Western Australia has, unsurprisingly, voted No to the Voice.

This means every single state in Australia voted down the proposal. The ACT voted Yes, while the Northern Territory also voted No.

With 269 out of 826 polling booths in WA counted, the state’s No vote is sitting at about 59.7 per cent, while the Yes vote languishes at 40 per cent.

It’s a crushing blow to the Yes campaign, but Western Australia has long been considered a state unlikely to support the referendum.

WA Liberal leader Libby Mettam said, after the result became clear, that WA Premier Roger Cook was to blame for the state rejecting the proposal.

“There is no doubt that the Cook government’s shambolic Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Act has had an impact on the vote or support for the voice in WA,’ Mettam told The Australian.

‘The chaos created by the Cook Labor government’s botched rollout of this act and the lack of details provided created real doubt and mistrust about how their federal Labor colleagues would implement the voice.’

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has thanked Australia for their support throughout the campaign.

The Northern Territory senator has been the face of the No case for most of the campaign, and has enjoyed a meteoric rise during that same period of time.

Speaking to the public, she said: ‘We are one of the if not the greatest nation on the face of the earth. And it is time for Australians to believe that once again, to be proud to call ourselves Australian.

‘I realise that much work needs to be done for us to be brought together as a country because it has been such a challenging and heart-wrenching time for many Australians.

‘For those of you that voted Yes, please no that we as a Coalition have always got the best interests of all Australians at heart. We want to make sure that we’re fighting for a better for all Australians. But going forward, we need to prioritise where our most marginalised are.’

A group of Indigenous Australians who supported the Voice have issued a two-page statement vowing to begin a week of silence beginning tonight.

This time will be used to ‘grieve this outcome and reflect on its meaning and significance’.

The group said: ‘We will be lowering our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags to half-mast for the week of silence to acknowledge this result. We ask others to do the same.’

This time will be used to ‘regather strength and resolve’, to begin looking toward the future and consider a new path forward.

‘To our people we say: do not shed tears. This rejection was never for others to issue.

‘The truth is that we offered this recognition and it has been refused. We now know where we stand in this our own country. Always was. Always will be.’

The group said the reasons for this ‘tragic outcome’ will be ‘dissected in the weeks, years and decades to come’.

‘Much will be asked about the role of racism and prejudice against Indigenous people in this result. The only thing we ask is that each and every Australian who voted in this election reflect hard on this question.’

For a portion of the evening, the vote in Victoria began trending up. There was hope that it could get over the line for the Yes vote.

Now, that count has again started tracking down. ABC analyst Antony Green said there was enough of a trend to officially call Victoria for the No campaign, meaning it has secured support from all states except Western Australia (where the count is still underway).

The Northern Territory has voted No to the Indigenous Voice.

Similar to the ACT, the Northern Territory votes did not count toward the state majority needed to secure victory, however each individual vote counted toward the national tally.

With 30 per cent of the Lingiari vote counted and sitting at 66 per cent No, and 68 per cent of the Solomon vote counted at 65 per cent No, pollsters were comfortable calling the decision.

The PM has repeatedly expressed his frustrations about the questions which the Opposition raised throughout the campaign about the scope of the proposed advisory body.

He addressed some of those theories during Saturday night’s speech, telling reporters in Parliament House ‘the Reserve Bank can rest easy now that they won’t be getting advice on interest rates before the next meeting’.

‘Debates about the length of the Uluru Statement from the Heart that no-one serious, in his room room – does anyone in this room think that it was more that it was? But we had pages and pages and weeks and weeks donated to those issues

‘That was some of the things that were discussed. There are a range of reasons. A change in the constitution is hard.’

The Indigenous Australians Minister has delivered an emotional speech to concede defeat, offering a message of hope for First Nations people.

‘I will never forget that day in September when some 200,000 Australians walked together for yes right across this country. I know this outcome will be hard for some, but achieving progress is never easy, and progress doesn’t always move in a straight line.

‘There are breakthroughs and heartbreaks, but I am confident that because of this campaign and the millions of conversations it has sparked, the renewed generation of Indigenous leaders will emerge.

‘To all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, I want to say this: I know the last few months have been tough, but be proud of who you are. Be proud of your identity. Be proud of the 65,000 years of history and culture that you are part of, and your rightful place in this country.

‘We will carry on, and we will move forward, and we will thrive. This is not the end of reconciliation, and in the months ahead, I will have more to say about our government’s renewed commitment to closing the gap.’

Anthony Albanese has addressed the public for the first time since his referendum was voted down, fighting back tears as he conceded defeat.

He said: ‘While tonight’s result is not one that I had hoped for, I absolutely respect the decision of the Australian people and the democratic process that has delivered it.

‘When we reflect on everything hapepning in the world today we can all give thanks that we make the decisions peacefully, and as equals.’

Mr Albanese said he knew he could never promise a win to the Indigenous Australians who had placed their faith in him to implement the pillars of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, but that he gave it his all.

‘We argued for this change not out of convenience but from conviction, because that’s what people deserve from their government.

‘When you do the hard things, when you aim high, sometimes you fall short. And tonight we acknowledge, understand and respect that we have. As prime minister, I will always accept responsibility for the decisions I have taken, and I do so tonight.’

Top Yes campaigner Professor Marcia Langton has shared her feelings over the defeat of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

‘It’s very clear that reconciliation is dead,’ she said on NITV.

‘A majority of Australians have said no to an invitation from Indigenous Australia, with a minimal proposition, to give us a bare say in matters that affect our lives, advice that doesn’t need to be taken by the Parliament.

‘I think the No campaigners have a lot to answer for in poisoning Australia against this proposition and against Indigenous Australia.’

Professor Langton was a key figure throughout the debate and sparked backlash for several controversial comments she made during the campaign.

Earlier this year, Langton vowed to boycott future Welcome to Country requests if the Voice were to fail, telling The Australian: ‘I imagine that most Australians who are non-Indigenous, if we lose the ­referendum, will not be able to look me in the eye.

‘How are they going to ever ask an Indigenous person, a Traditional Owner, for a Welcome to Country? How are they ever going to be able to ask me to come and speak at their conference?

‘If they have the temerity to do it, of course the answer is going to be no.’

Yes23 campaigner Dean Parkin slammed the ‘single largest misinformation campaign the country has ever seen’ during a speech to devastated supporters at an event in Sydney.

The group hoped they’d be enjoying a celebratory evening; instead, a deflated Parkin told them that they did ‘all they could’ to get the vote over the line.

Parkin said to No voters: ‘We did all we could to alleviate doubts (about the Voice).

‘We did all we could to ensure the proposal was strong. We believe that the proposal was strong. We believe the proposal remains strong.’

In spite of their belief in the campaign, Parkin said the Yes camp could not compete with ‘the single largest misinformation campaign this country has ever seen’, slamming the ‘disrespect and disdain’ which had been shown toward Indigenous people.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has assurred the Indigenous Australian population that they have not been rejected in this monumental vote.

He said Australia has rejected a proposal which ‘never should have been brought to a referendum’.

Indigenous leaders are expected to make a ‘major announcement’ at the official Yes gathering in Sydney regarding the No vote.

Sky News reporter Laura Jayes said they will declare an ‘official period of mourning’, during which they will make no comment about the catastrophic result.

Jayes said the leaders would acknowledge there is ‘no hope for reconciliation’.

There are scenes of devastation within the official Yes campaign event this evening.

Pictures show emotional volunteers holding their heads in their hands and wiping away tears as the results from across Australia roll in.

Devastated Thomas Mayo has addressed media about the referendum’s defeat, issuing a scathing assessment of Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and the No campaign as a whole.

He said analysis of the campaigns will take place when the dust has settled, and that there should be ‘repercussions’ for the ‘fear campaign, the dishonesty’ and the ‘trying to tell people that this is something that it is not’.

“We’ve just been honest, we’ve been out there working hard, you know 70,000 volunteers, people that have never campaigned before.”

He later said: ‘We put our faith in the Australian people. I think they were ready, but there has been some really horrible political campaigning from Peter Dutton and his No campaign.

‘It’s been disgusting to be frank.’

Sydney appears to be cut in half over support for the Voice.

Locals in Sydney’s east and inner suburbs voted in favour of the proposal – while the west of the city swings hard against the proposal.

But their support has not been enough to get the state over the line.

The ABC has now called South Australia for the No campaign – meaning the referendum is now dead in the water.

The three states which have now been called for the No camp, South Australia, NSW and Tasmania, were the three that the Yes camp was quietly confident it could win.

Independent senator Lidia Thorpe says there is ‘no surprise’ in the strong No vote which is being recorded across the nation so far.

‘Having a referendum at this time… from the beginning I said it was a waste of money and that it would divide our people.

‘Here we are, 12 months later, wasted money, no result, and No justice either way.’

With almost 50 per cent of polling places in New South Wales already counted, the ABC has called the must-win state for the No camp.

It is a crushing blow for the Yes campaign, which considered NSW one of the most likely states to support the proposal.

The PM’s seat of Grayndler has voted Yes to the proposal with a staggering 79 per cent of support, but it is one of just a few wins for Labor so far.

The ABC has called Tasmania for the No campaign, spelling trouble for the Yes campaign.

Tasmania was crucial for the double majority needed for the referendum to succeed.

Without Tasmania, the Yes campaign needs NSW, Victoria, South Australia and either Queensland or Western Australia to support the proposal.

Votes have been counted at 1,507 of Australia’s 8,253 polling booths.

The No vote is ahead 57 per cent to 43 per cent, with counting yet to begin in both Queensland and Western Australia.

All electorates in the Australian Capital Territory are trending toward a Yes vote.

Because it is a territory, the ACT result does not count toward the ‘majority of states’ portion of the result.

As the votes begin pouring in from around the country, Linda Burney has issued a message of thanks to Australians who said Yes to a Voice.

‘Whatever the result tonight, millions of Australians have united in an historic movement for constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians,’ she said.

‘Millions of you have said Yes to hope, recognition, and the offer of reconciliation from Indigenous Australians. Thank you.’

The count can now get underway in one of the most crucial states for both camps.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese chose South Australia to announce the date of the referendum, and the Yes campaign has poured plenty of resources into the state.

The No campaign has campaigned equally as intensively in South Australia, acutely aware that it could fall either way on referendum day.

Speaking to the ABC, Warren Mundine said: ‘From day one I have felt we can do that. A lot of our team said ‘no, it’s not possible’.

‘To me it was just that we could. I always felt we could do it.’

The AEC has released early results out of NSW and Victoria – and it’s not a good start for the Yes campaign.

Both states need to vote Yes in order for the Voice to succeed.

So far, with 18 of 2,835 polling places counted in NSW, the state is voting 67 per cent No compared with 32.7 per cent Yes.

Similarly, 58 per cent of Victorian votes which have already been counted are against the Voice, with 42 per cent in favour.

The national vote is sitting at 63 per cent No.

It is worth noting the count is in very early stages. Just 0.04 per cent of the votes around Australia have been counted.

ABC star reporter Patricia Karvelas has been forced to explain why she is covering the result of the referendum from a No campaign event.

She said: ‘Just a brief explanation of reporting. I am REPORTING from the No event. That’s not an endorsement of it. Reporters cover everything as they should’.

Polling booths are officially closed in New South Wales, Victoria, ACT and Tasmania, meaning the count can officially get underway.

South Australian booths will close in just 30 minutes, while West Australians have three more hours to hit the polls.

Northern Territory voters have 90 minutes until booths close, while Queenslanders have another hour.

Sky News, ABC and NITV will have the most extensive coverage of the vote and the fallout on Saturday night.

Sky’s ‘in-depth’ referendum coverage kicked off at 5pm, anchored by Kieran Gilbert, with political editor Andrew Clennell and Chris Kenny and Peta Credlin to join on a panel.

They will be joined by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, Nationals Leader David Littleproud, Indigenous affairs commentator Anthony Dillon, former Labor MP Stephen Conroy and co-convener of Liberals for Yes Sean Gordon.

The ABC is moving it’s traditional news slot to an earlier time of 5pm in order to start its rolling coverage from 5.30pm AEDT as live results flow in from across the country.

The program will be anchored by Bridget Brennan, David Speers and Dan Bourchier who will be joined by chief election analyst Antony Green and Chief Political Correspondent Laura Tingle who will give analysis of the results as they come in.

Journalists Patricia Karvelas and Isabella Higgins will also add to the coverage, promising to look at ‘both sides of the vote’.

SBS World News will hold its regular 6.30pm AEDT spot but presenter Anton Enus will be joined by Mudburra and Wagadagam woman Natalie Ahmat.

From 7.30pm, the channel will broadcast a two-hour live special of The Point: Australia Decides, to be presented by Wuthathi and Meriam man John Paul Janke and Whadjuk Noongar woman Narelda Jacobs.

They will be joined for discussion by a panel of guests including Professor Marcia Langton, Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, former Senator and Olympian Nova Peris, Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth, and Tasmanian Liberal MP Bridget Archer, and more.

Channels 7 and 9 will each dedicate a 30 minute slot to the Voice.

A No voter was allegedly called a ‘racist’ by a Yes campaigner in an angry confrontation that took place outside a polling booth.

The incident took place near Bourke Street Primary School in Surry Hills in Sydney‘s inner-east about 9am on Saturday.

No campaigner Bella d’Abrera claims she was confronted by the man as he repeatedly called her a racist during the shocking exchange – which she filmed.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia Ms d’Abrera, said she was standing outside the polling centre when the man approached her and began allegedly verbally abusing her.

‘I was standing with my No cap on and my No t-shirt and he walked past me and came back and said “I just wanted to tell you…you’re a racist”,’ she said.

Ms d’Abrera said the man – who she had never met before – ‘got in her face’ during the exchange and a short time later came back and yelled at her in an Indigenous language.

‘A [person] who was voting had to come and stand next to me, a taller guy… and [he] told him told him to leave me alone.’

A total of 115 voters across the Adelaide electorate of Boothby were asked how they voted as they left four polling booths. 58 registered a No vote while 56 went for Yes.

The tight numbers deliver a 50.8 per cent No majority versus 49.2 per cent for Yes.

South Australia was a key target for both the Yes and No campaigns as changing the Constitution requires two majorities – a majority of voters plus four out of Australia’s six states.

The likes of skipper Pat Cummins and David Warner voted last week at the Consulate-General office in Chennai ahead of the side’s World Cup opener in India.

The ACA reportedly told players on the subcontinent they will have access to counselling if the proposed changes are not widely endorsed.

A No campaign text message pleading with voters to get to the polls or face a fine has been blasted by a Yes campaigner.

Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has accused Fair Australia of using ‘misleading or deceptive publications’ in a text blast which was sent to voters on Saturday morning.

The message read: ‘don’t risk a fine! Get to a polling place today and vote No to the Voice of Division!’.

The No campaign is concerned that supporters may be so apathetic about the Voice that they may not show up to vote.

The text led Ms Hanson-Young lodged a complaint with the Australian Electoral Commission.

The South Australian senator said the ‘nasty No campaign [is] still using dirty lies, deception and fear right to the end’.