How I felt as a young person voting in the Indigenous Voice referendum

I stood there, at Tamworth's big red postal box in the middle of the CBD, while female rock blasted through my ears and the smell of spring rain was in the air (a rarity these days).

As I stood there, examining every little crease and mark on the Australian Electoral Commission return envelope, the moment dawned on me.

Every single thought I had over the past year started to rush through my head, just one after the other. I questioned everything. Had I filled out the ballot correctly? Would this small contribution to our democracy change Australia's identity forever?

I have voted before, but only in local and state government elections, a school captaincy vote once and who had the craziest outfit at a university party. Never in a constitutional referendum.

Millennials and Gen Z'ers have never voted in a referendum and may hold the power that could change the landscape of the country forever.

The last referendum vote took place on November 6, 1999, and it was to decide whether to establish Australia as a republic. I would have only been a few days old at that point.

And I was just a year shy of my 18th birthday when the Same-Sex marriage plebiscite was held in 2016, which I was quite sad about as I was unable to show my unconditional support for my friends and family that are part of the LGBTIQA+ community.

So, to have the chance to be part of this historic moment is a whole new feeling for me.

What makes me nervous is that I don't know the end result. If only I had a crystal ball to look into the future, I would like to see what my fellow Australians will decide and how the decision will ultimately change us, no matter which way the vote swings.

But, until then, I slide my vote into the mailbox void, where it will be sent off to a vote-counting location in Sydney.

As I turned and began to walk back to my office, I realised that my one contribution to this historic moment may only be remembered by me, but it could help create a change that will push our country to a brighter future.

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