On the day of The Voice to Parliament referendum Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Dapto.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Mr Albanese was welcomed to the Illawarra by Illawarra Elder Dr Jodi Edwards and spoke with voters and Yes campaign volunteers - who often outnumbered voters - outside Dapto Ribbonwood Centre.
Read more: Australia Decides: Referendum day live
The Prime Minister told the media that he had been invited to stop in the Illawarra on voting day by local MPs Stephen Jones and Alison Byrnes.
"I've been right around the country, same thing that brought me to Broken Hill, Port Lincoln, Perth and Adelaide and Mutitjulu," he said.
Mr Albanese was upbeat, even in the face of polling indicating that voters around Australia will choose to vote No.
"I'm very confident that Australians can't be taken for granted," he said.
"A bit of arrogance has crept into the No campaign in recent times, but when Australians go into the polling booth I'm hopeful they will look at what the question actually is and take the opportunity to recognise First Nations people and to have a non-binding advisory committee."
Mr Albanese was joined by his partner Jodie Haydon and son Nathan, who was on his way to the Yours and Owls festival at the University of Wollongong.
It seems Albanese's well known appreciation for live music has been passed down a generation, and when it comes to taste the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, with Nathan picking the Hilltop Hoods as his festival go-to.
"They're voting Yes," Mr Albanese added.
Elsewhere around the Illawarra, activity at voting centres was muted.
With a simpler ballot paper than at an election, voters were in and out at polling stations, and fewer schools offered "democracy sausages" than on the recent federal and state election days.
Pre-poll votes were much higher in Cunningham, Whitlam and Gilmore than for the 2022 federal election, with the percentage of enrolled voters casting their ballot before election day above 50 per cent in Gilmore.
Voting booths remain open until 6pm.
Our news app has had a makeover, making it faster and giving you access to even more great content. Download The Illawarra Mercury news app in the Apple Store and Google Play.
