Australia’s High Court has rejected two separate legal challenges to the government’s voluntary postal vote that could give lawmakers the go-ahead to legalize same-sex marriage.
The court did not issue any written opinions Thursday explaining why it decided to reject the challenges after two days of hearings.
Gay rights advocates went to the Melbourne-based court seeking to scrap the plan, arguing that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s government does not have the authority to spend $97 million on a postal vote. They also expressed fears the vote could bring harm to Australia’s gay, lesbian and transgender community, and have demanded lawmakers go on the record with a simple “yes” or “no” vote.
The High Court’s decision means the government can go ahead and begin mailing the ballots next week, with the results to be announced in November. If a majority of “yes” ballots are returned, lawmakers would follow through with a vote on the measure the following month.
Prime Minister Turnbull, who supports same-sex marriage, praised the court’s decision in Parliament Thursday.
“I will be encouraging others to vote ‘yes,’” Turnbull said, and urged every Australian to vote “to have their say.”
Turnbull launched the voluntary postal vote after Parliament voted down a plan to hold a compulsory vote known as a plebiscite.
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