A key advocate behind the push for an Indigenous voice says it is common for issues to be put to a referendum without the fine detail.

One of the main arguments used by the ‘no’ case for an Indigenous voice in the constitution is that the structure and processes behind the voice have not yet been spelled out.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says this is a major flaw in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s plan to put the constitutional change to a referendum in the final quarter of this year.

But the co-chair of the Uluru Dialogue, Pat Anderson, said it was always going to be a vote on a “matter of principle”.

“We have never gone to a referenda with all of the details … whatever was being voted upon, we go on matters of principle,” she told ABC Radio on Tuesday.

“There are nine principles that are out there for everybody to look at, and all of the details of how it’s all going to work will be done after the ‘yes’ vote.”

Federal parliament will be required to legislate the functions and structure of the voice if the ‘yes’ vote is successful.

Ms Anderson said there would be enough information for voters to make an informed decision.

“That’s the task that we all have now, for the general public to inform themselves and for people like myself and everybody that supports us to talk to their members of their family, extended family, talk to their work colleagues, and all of their networks,” she said.

As part of the information process, the Australian Electoral Commission on Tuesday asked members of parliament to provide it with 2000-word ‘yes’ and ‘no’ cases to be published in a booklet to be sent to households.

The information will be required by July 17.

“The AEC’s role in this process is effectively to act as a post box,” electoral commissioner Tom Rogers said.

“It’s now the job of members and senators to draft ‘yes’ and ‘no’ cases for us to distribute to each household. 

“While we’re legally required to provide this pamphlet, our role is otherwise about the process of delivering the referendum and is not about the topic – we don’t care which way you vote, only that you do vote.”

The AEC will have no editorial role in the content of the two cases.

The pamphlet is expected to be 20 pages long and include the proposed additional section of the constitution, which parliament endorsed this week.

Mr Albanese is working with advisers on setting a date for the referendum, but it has been speculated October 14 is the government’s preferred date.

“It will be a moment of national unity, a chance to make our nation even greater,” he said.

Liberal senator Kerrynne Liddle said she failed to understand why the voice needed to be in the constitution and not simply in legislation.

“And what if it doesn’t work? We can’t just simply take it out,” she said.

“It’s not such an easy process to just modify. It’s important that we actually had much more detail.”

By Paul Osborne in Canberra

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