Australians have voted in favour of allowing same-sex couples to marry in a landmark national survey.
The Yes vote triumphed with 61.6 per cent of the vote, while 38.4 per cent voted No. The vote in favour of changing the law had the majority in every state and territory, but was strongest in the ACT.
The results of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey were announced on Wednesday morning by the head of the Australian Bureau of Statistics David Kalisch, ending a divisive four-month campaign.
Despite some early criticisms that the use of the postal system would make the survey inaccessible, an overwhelming 79.5 per cent of Australian voters did participate, in what the Chief Statistician called an “outstanding” turnout.
Women responded in greater numbers than men, at 81.6 per cent and 77.3 percent respectively.
Young voters also turned out in strong numbers. 78 per cent of those aged 18-19 and 72 per cent of those aged 20-24 made it to a post office with their completed forms. At the other end of the spectrum, 80 percent of Australians older than 85 voted.
Same-sex marriage will now almost certainly be legalised in Australia through a change to the Marriage Act.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he was committed to changing the law by Christmas. "Now it is up to us here in the parliament of Australia to get on with it, to get on with the job," the prime minister said immediately following the ABS announcement.
A private member’s bill will be introduced in the last sitting fortnight of parliament, which begins on November 27.
Mr Turnbull has previously said he expected the legislation to “sail through parliament”.
But exactly how the Marriage Act will change remains an active debate within the Coalition.
Two Liberal senators have released very different bills: the moderate-backed Dean Smith bill and the James Paterson bill, favoured by conservatives.
While the Smith bill allows churches to refuse to marry same-sex couples, the Paterson bill would allow anyone with a religious or moral objection to refuse to participate in the process – including florists, bakers and musicians.
It would also protect anyone voicing or acting on a belief that marriage should only be between a man and a woman from discrimination and vilification laws.
"There will be a debate about how wide the exemptions would be," Attorney-General George Brandis said on Tuesday.
Mr Turnbull's decision to use a private member's bill means there could be multiple bills put to the parliament, rather than a unified government proposal.
Labor leader Bill Shorten has offered his support to the Smith bill and rubbished the Paterson bill, which possibly gives the Smith bill a better chance of succeeding.
