The Headline Numbers for the Territory
We've
crunched and mapped the numbers for Australia's same-sex marriage postal
survey. The nation as a whole voted 'YES' with 61.6% in favour of same-sex
marriage equality. In the Northern Territory, 60.6% voted 'YES' but our
participation in the survey was much lower, especially in the Electoral
Division of Lingiari where almost half eligible voters did not participate.
Who Participated?
Rates of
participation were the lowest in the country for young people (20-24 year olds)
in Lingiari at 39.3%. It appears that nationally, 18 and 19 year olds took
up the opportunity to participate as participation rates for this age group
were generally higher than for their slightly older counterparts aged less than
30 years (see Figure 1 below). In general older Australians were far more
likely to have participated in the survey.
Figure 1
– Participation in the same-sex marriage survey by age
The Nation in Maps
The results of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey are
shown in the maps below. They illustrate the percentage of all fully completed
(or ‘clear’ responses) with the yes box marked for each Commonwealth Electoral
Division. The proportion of unclear responses was very minimal (0.2%
nationally).
Areas coloured yellow in the map below show the 17 electoral
divisions with under 50% responding yes. Areas shown in green and blue are
where the majority of responses were yes, with the green representing more than
50% but less than the national average figure of 61.6%. Blue areas are where
the percentages were above the national average, with the darker blue areas
indicating electoral divisions where more than 70% of forms were yes.
The map below shows the highest ‘yes’ proportions were in and
around Australia’s capital cities (see the two maps below for Sydney and
Melbourne, for example). There are clusters of divisions which voted ‘no’ in
Western Sydney (including Parramatta, Chiefly, Fowler, McMahon and Blaxland,
which had the lowest ‘yes’ vote in the country at 26.1%). Interestingly, the
division of Bennelong was a marginally ‘no’ at 49% ‘yes’. This is clear in the
map for Sydney Divisions below. Another ‘no’ cluster was evident in
north-western Queensland in the Divisions of Maranoa and bob Katter’s
electorate of Kennedy. Another ‘no’ division in Queensland was Groom (currently
a Coalition seat) in the south.
Map 1 - The national picture of the same-sex marriage vote
Map 2 - Sydney Divisions and the same-sex marriage vote
In Victoria, the only Divisions with a ‘no’ vote were Calwell and Bruce (both Labour held Divisions),
however, overall Victoria was the strongest ‘yes’ State at 64.9%, however the
ACT was higher at 74%.
Map 2 - Melbourne Divisions and the same-sex marriage vote
