Australian voters overwhelmingly approved the introduction of same-sex marriage Tuesday, with 62% in agreement and 31% saying no. Nearly 79% of eligible voters mailed in a ballot.
The outcome is a win for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who called a referendum after the country’s conservative Senate refused to debate the measure.
The survey was voluntary, unlike Australia’s compulsory elections.
Voters were asked to mail back a Yes or No response to the question:
“Should the marriage law should be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?”
The Yes campaign argued that it was a debate about equality. The No campaign had put the focus on the definition of family, raising concerns about how issues like gender will be taught in schools.