澳大利亞選民開始收到同性婚姻的民調選票

Tuesday marks the start of a month-long voluntary vote that could eventually legalize same-sex marriage in Australia.

As many as 16 million Australians will receive a mail-in ballot asking them to vote either "yes" or "no" on the issue and mail it back by November. If a majority of ballots are marked "yes," Parliament will follow through with a formal vote in December.

A new opinion survey released Tuesday indicated 70 percent of those questioned said they support same-sex marriage.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who says he will mark "yes" on his ballot, launched the voluntary mail-in vote after lawmakers rejected a plan to hold a compulsory vote known as a plebiscite.

Gay rights advocates unsuccessfully challenged the plan in Australia's High Court, arguing that Turnbull's government does not have the authority to spend $97 million on the mail-in ballot.

Advocates also expressed fears the vote could expose Australia's gay, lesbian and transgender community to harm. They are demanding lawmakers hold a simple up-or-down vote.澳大利亞星期二開始了爲期一個月的自願投票，最終可能會促成澳大利亞同性婚姻合法化。

多達1600萬澳大利亞人將收到郵寄選票，要求他們就同性婚姻合法化問題表明支持還是反對，並在11月底前寄出選票。如果大多數人表示支持的話，澳大利亞議會就要在12月舉行正式投票。

星期二公佈的一份新民調顯示，70%的受訪者支持同性婚姻合法化。

澳大利亞總理特恩布爾表示，他將投出支持的一票。此前，澳大利亞議會否決了強制公民投票的計劃後，特恩布爾決定進行自願郵寄投票。

同性戀權益倡導者向澳大利亞最高法院提出，特恩布爾政府無權劃撥9700萬美元用於郵寄投票，結果被最高法院駁回。

同性戀權益倡導者還擔心，投票會給澳大利亞的男女同性戀和跨性別者羣體帶來傷害。他們要求議員直接記名投票，表示支持還是反對。