ABS To Make Running Total Of Received SSM Surveys Public From Next Week

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has announced it will be providing tallies of same-sex marriage postal surveys received in the lead-up to the final result, in an apparent attempt to raise awareness of the survey.

Because the issue hasn’t already received much publicity, obviously.

Starting on Tuesday October 3, the ABS will release information regarding the total number of surveys received. Don’t expect any information regarding the number of votes either way, or demographic statistics: the updates will purely be the number of valid envelopes successfully received by Australia Post.

ABS Deputy Australian Statistician (what a title) Jonathan Palmer said “these updates may encourage participation by those who have not yet responded and will inform reasonable public expectations about the likely final level of response.”

While there’s be precious little statistical info available before the final result of the vote is revealed on November 15, the tallies will allow punters – and, vitally, campaigners – to assess exactly how many eligible Australians have been moved to vote either way.

The tally will be made available at marriagesurvey.abs.gov.au.

 

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