Electoral system of New Zealand

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New Zealand uses a mixed-member proportional (MMP) system for its Parliament, and it has done so since 1996 after two referendums in the early 1990s. In MMP, voters have two secret ballots: one for a local candidate in their electorate and one for a political party. The electorate vote chooses a local MP, while the party vote helps determine how many seats each party should have in total.

Parliament and seats
New Zealand’s Parliament is a single house called the House of Representatives. It usually has about 120 MPs, but the number can be a bit higher if special seats are created. In the 2023 Parliament, there were 123 seats: 72 filled by electorate MPs and the rest by list MPs from party lists. Of the 72 electorates, 65 are general electorates and 7 are Māori electorates. The rest of the seats are filled from party lists using the party vote, with the Sainte-Laguë method used to work out exact numbers. If a party wins more electorate seats than its party vote would otherwise allow, those extra seats become overhang seats, and other parties don’t gain extra compensation seats.

Key rules
- A party generally needs 5% of the national party vote or to win at least one electorate seat to get seats in Parliament.
- Seats for MPs from party lists are allocated after counting electorate seats.
- The system uses a closed list, and seats are allocated fairly to reflect the party vote nationwide.
- There are 7 Māori electorates, separate from the general electorates, to represent Māori voters.

History and voting basics
- New Zealand was the first country to grant women the vote, in 1893.
- Universal suffrage means most adults can vote; the voting age is 18 today (it was lowered from 21 in 1974).
- Māori representation has a long history: Māori electors were established in 1867–68 (initially four seats, later increased). The number of Māori seats has changed over time and was seven by 2002.
- General elections use secret ballots, with Māori voting at times historically on different days, but now vote on the same day.
- Voters vote at polling places or by mail, and there are provisions for advance and special votes.

Public debate and reforms
- A 2011 referendum confirmed that most people still support MMP.
- An Electoral Commission review in 2012–2014 looked at possible improvements, but no major changes were passed.
- In 2021, an independent review of New Zealand’s electoral law began, with a panel delivering its report in 2024. Boundary reviews occur every five years after the census.
- As of 2024, there are many registered political parties, with some years seeing smaller parties form alliances or deregister.