Nelson (New Zealand electorate)

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Nelson is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate that elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Representatives. It has existed since 1853, making it the only original electorate that’s been continuous. It was first called Town of Nelson (1853–1860), then City of Nelson (1860–1881), and since 1881 it has just been Nelson. It was a two-member seat from 1853 to 1881, with early MPs like James Mackay and William Travers; it became a single-member electorate in 1881.

The electorate centers on the city of Nelson and includes nearby Richmond, as well as the smaller communities of Appleby and Hope, and Hira and Cable Bay to the north, to meet population needs.

Boundary changes over the years include a major change in 1996 when New Zealand moved to mixed-member proportional representation; Tasman was split, affecting Nelson. The 2007 review adjusted the boundaries (first used in the 2008 election), and in the 2020 redistribution Brightwater was moved to West Coast–Tasman.

As of 17 October 2020, Nelson is represented by Rachel Boyack of the Labour Party, who defeated long-time National MP Nick Smith in the 2020 election. In general, Labour has often won the party vote in Nelson, while the Green Party performs better locally than nationally.

Nelson has been contested at every general election and remains one of the few electorates from the first Parliament era that has existed continuously.