The federal government is launching a new initiative to explain the upcoming Voice to parliament as Australians wait to learn when they will be going to the polls.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney says the program will promote discussion and debate about the embedding of Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders as a special category in the Constitution.

“All Australians need to be well-informed with access to a trusted source of information as they consider the proposal to change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia through a referendum,” Ms Burney said in a statement.

Under the program voters can learn about the proposal via Voice.gov.au ahead of the referendum to be held between October and December this year.

Ms Burney said the “neutral civics information” was one part of the government’s broader civics education program to help all Australians with questions about the proposed change to the Constitution.

In parallel, the Museum of Australian Democracy and Constitution Education Fund Australia is set to deliver a grassroots civics program focusing on general information about the Constitution and referendum processes in the coming months.

The minister said the information program would give Australians everything they need to make an informed decision at the referendum and it would reach audiences of every background.

-with AAP