Voice referendum battlegrounds: digital ad spending surges in South Australia and Tasmania

Facebook ad spending by prominent yes and no pages show that both groups are heavily focused on Tasmania and South Australia, although grassroots campaigning is still a focus in other states. Photograph: Nadir Kinani/The Guardian

Spending on digital advertising for the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum has surged in the key battleground states of Tasmania and South Australia, a Guardian Australia investigation shows.

An analysis of Facebook ad spending by prominent pages supporting the yes and no campaigns show that, adjusted for population, both groups are heavily focused on Tasmania and South Australia.