New Zealand electorates

An electorate or electoral district (Template:Langx) is a geographic constituency used for electing a member (MP) to the New Zealand Parliament. The size of electorates is determined such that all electorates have approximately the same electoral population.

Before 1996, all MPs were directly chosen for office by the voters of an electorate. Thereafter, New Zealand's electoral system provides that some (in practice, the majority) of the usually 120 seats in Parliament are filled by electorate representatives with the remainder being filled from party lists in order to achieve proportional representation among parties. The number of electorates changes periodically, in line with national population growth. Starting from the 2020 general election, there are 72 electorates including the Māori electorates.

Terminology

The Electoral Act 1993 refers to electorates as "electoral districts". Electorates are informally referred to as "seats" (Template:Langx), but technically the term seat refers to an elected member's place in Parliament.

Distribution

Under first-past-the-post (1853–1993)

The electoral boundaries for the inaugural 1853 general election were drawn up by the governor, George Grey, with the authority for this coming from the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852.Template:Sfn After the initial election, there were eight redivisions carried out by members of the general assembly (as the lower house was known at the time). These revisions were a mixture of minor and major boundary adjustments. In 1887, the responsibility for reshaping electorates was given to a Representation Commission and that arrangement has remained to this day. Up until 1981, the boundaries of the Māori electorates were determined by the governor or governor-general, when that responsibility was also transferred to the Representation Commission.Template:Sfn

Since the Representation Act 1900 and 1902 electoral redistribution, the number of electorates had been fixed at 80. Slower growth in the population of the South Island compared to the North Island meant the number of South Island electorates, once near-equal to the North, was decreasing and the geographic size of those electorates was growing. The 80-electorate cap was removed in 1969 and instead the number of South Island electorates fixed at 25. Thereafter, the number of electorates steadily increased, peaking with 99 members elected in 1993, of whom 74 were elected from North Island electorates.

Elections for the House of Representatives in the 1850s modelled the electoral procedures used for the British House of Commons, which at that time featured both single-member electorates (electorates returning just one MP) and multi-member electorates (electorates returning more than one MP). Each electorate was allocated a different number of MPs (up to three) in order to balance electoral population differences. All electorates used a plurality voting system, except between 1908 and 1913 when a two-round voting system was employed.

Electorate boundaries were not always drawn to provide for proportional representation between communities. From 1881, a special country quota meant that rural seats could contain fewer people than urban seats, preserving improportionality by over-representing the rural electoral population (mostly made up by farmers). The country quota inflated the number of the electoral population outside of cities and certain towns by some percentage. The quota was at first 33% (1881–1887), then briefly 18% (1887–1889), and 28% for the remaining period (1889–1945).Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn For the 1905 election, the multi-member electorates were abolished. The country quota persisted until 1945. A system of Māori electorates providing indigenous representation was established in 1867 but these were not drawn in proportion to their general electorate counterparts until the election of the 45th New Zealand Parliament in 1996.

Under mixed-member proportional representation (since 1996)

Number of electorates since 1996 (South Island electorates = 16)

Election Year	Parliament	North Island electorates	Māori electorates	Total
1996	45th	44	5	65
1999	46th	45	6	67
2002	47th	46	7	69
2005	48th	46	7	69
2008	49th	47	7	70
2011	50th	47	7	70
2014	51st	48	7	71
2017	52nd	48	7	71
2020	53rd	49	7	72
2023	54th	49	7	72
2026	55th	48	7	71

Since the introduction of the mixed-member proportional system at the 1996 election, there have been at least 120 MPs and the number of South Island electorates has been fixed at 16. Like under the previous system, the number of North Island electorates is calculated in proportion to the South Island and that number has risen from 44 to a peak of 49 in 2020 and 2023. The new electoral system also provides for the number of Māori electorates to be calculated proportionally, and these have sat at 7 since 2002. In October 2024, Statistics New Zealand announced that population changes necessitated reducing the number of North Island general electorates by one, returning the number of North Island general electorates to 48.

Because the number of MPs is fixed at a minimum of 120, adding additional electorates means there are fewer seats available for list MPs. List MP seats are assigned proportionally to parties that win at least one electorate or receive at least 5% of the party vote. However, additional list MPs may be elected if overhang seats are required due to a party winning more electorates than its party vote share entitles it; the total number of members may therefore be more than 120.Template:Sfn In 2005 and 2011, 121 members were elected; 122 members were elected in 2008; 123 members were elected in 2023.

Representation Commission

The Representation Commission has determined general electorate boundaries since 1881.Template:Sfn These days, the Commission consists of:

• Four government officials—the Government Statistician, the Surveyor-General, the Chief Electoral Officer, and the Chairperson of the Local Government Commission.
• A representative of the governing party or coalition, and a representative of the opposition bloc.
• A chairperson (often a judge) nominated by the other members (with the exception of Chairperson of the Local Government Commission).

The Representation Commission reviews electorate boundaries after each New Zealand census, which normally occurs every five years. The Electoral Act 1993 stipulates that the South Island is to have 16 general electorates, and dividing the number of persons in the South Island's general electoral population by 16 determines the South Island Quota. This quota is then used to calculate the number of Māori electorates and to determine the number of North Island electorates.

The number of Māori electorates is calculated by dividing the Māori electoral population (MEP) of New Zealand by the South Island Quota. Māori voters may choose to either be represented in a Māori electorate or a general electorate, so the MEP is influenced by the number of Māori who opt for Māori electorate representation. Māori voters who choose to be represented in a general electorate are included in the General electoral population (GEP) of either the South Island or North Island. The number of North Island electorates is calculated by applying the South Island Quota to the North Island GEP. In this way, all three types of electorates will represent similar populations. Electorates may vary by no more than 5% of the average electoral population size.

In drawing new electorate boundaries, the Representation Commission must give due consideration to existing boundaries, communities of interest, facilities of communications, topographical features, and projected variation in population. Regard is often had for local authority boundaries. The Commission may abolish electorates and create new ones in their place. Except for Māori electorates, electorates must be wholly situated on either the North Island or South Island. Populations on other islands, such as Stewart Island / Rakiura and the Chatham Islands, are included by convention in electorates that provide access to the mainland, latterly Invercargill and Rongotai, respectively.

Naming conventions

The Representation Commission determines the names of each electorate following the most recent census. An electorate may be named after a geographic region, landmark (e.g. a mountain) or main population area. The Commission adopts compass point names when there is not a more suitable name. The compass point reference usually follows the name of the main population centre, e.g. Hamilton East.

Special electorates

Two types of special electorates have been used.

Goldminers' electorates

Goldminers' electorates were created for participants in the Otago gold rush. Goldminers did not usually meet the residency and property requirements in the electorate they were prospecting in, but were numerous enough to warrant political representation. Three goldminers' electorates existed, the first began in 1863 and both ended in 1870.

Māori electorates

Much more durable have been the Māori electorates, created in 1867 to give separate representation to Māori. Although originally intended to be temporary, they came to function as reserved positions for Māori until 1967, ensuring that there would always be a Māori voice in Parliament. In 1967 the reserved status of the Māori seats was removed, allowing non-Māori to stand in the Māori electorates. Until 1993 the number of Māori electorates was fixed at four, significantly under-representing Māori in Parliament. In 1975 the definition of who could opt to register on either the general or the Māori roll was expanded to include all persons of Māori descent. Previously all persons of more than 50% Māori ancestry were on the Māori roll while persons of less than 50% Māori ancestry were required to enrol on the then European roll. Only persons presumed to have equal Māori and European ancestry (so-called half-castes) had a choice of roll.

Since the introduction of MMP in 1996, the number of seats can change with the number of Māori voters who choose to go on the Māori roll rather than the general roll. In 1996, there were five Māori electorates. For the 1999 election, this increased to six electorates. Since the 2002 election, the number of Māori electorates has stayed constant at seven.

Electorates in the 54th Parliament

File:2023 New Zealand electorates A.svg

New Zealand electorates used since 2023, showing 2023 election results

This table shows the electorates as they were represented during the 54th New Zealand Parliament. [NB "Port Waitako" on the map should read "Port Waikato".]

General electorates

Electorate	Region	Namesake	MP	Party
Template:NZ electorate link		Auckland		Template:Party name with color
Banks Peninsula		Banks Peninsula		Template:Party name with color
Bay of Plenty		Bay of Plenty		Template:Party name with color
Botany		Botany Downs		Template:Party name with color
Christchurch Central		Christchurch		Template:Party name with color
Christchurch East		Christchurch		Template:Party name with color
Coromandel		Coromandel Peninsula		Template:Party name with color
Dunedin		Dunedin		Template:Party name with color
East Coast	Gisborne and Bay of Plenty	East Coast		Template:Party name with color
East Coast Bays		East Coast Bays		Template:Party name with color
Epsom		Epsom		Template:Party name with color
Hamilton East		Hamilton		Template:Party name with color
Hamilton West		Hamilton		Template:Party name with color
Hutt South		Hutt Valley		Template:Party name with color
Ilam		Ilam		Template:Party name with color
Invercargill		Invercargill		Template:Party name with color
Kaikōura	Marlborough and Canterbury	Kaikōura		Template:Party name with color
Kaipara ki Mahurangi		Kaipara Harbour and Mahurangi Harbour		Template:Party name with color
Kelston		Kelston		Template:Party name with color
Mana		Mana Island		Template:Party name with color
Māngere		Māngere		Template:Party name with color
Manurewa		Manurewa		Template:Party name with color
Maungakiekie		Maungakiekie / One Tree Hill		Template:Party name with color
Mt Albert		Mount Albert		Template:Party name with color
Mt Roskill		Mount Roskill		Template:Party name with color
Napier		Napier		Template:Party name with color
Nelson	Nelson and Tasman	Nelson		Template:Party name with color
New Lynn		New Lynn		Template:Party name with color
New Plymouth		New Plymouth		Template:Party name with color
North Shore		North Shore		Template:Party name with color
Northcote		Northcote		Template:Party name with color
Northland		Northland Region		Template:Party name with color
Ōhāriu		Ohariu		Template:Party name with color
Ōtaki	Wellington and Manawatū-Whanganui	Ōtaki River		Template:Party name with color
Pakuranga		Pakuranga		Template:Party name with color
Palmerston North		Palmerston North		Template:Party name with color
Panmure-Ōtāhuhu		Panmure and Ōtāhuhu		Template:Party name with color
Papakura		Papakura		Template:Party name with color
Port Waikato	Auckland and Waikato	Port Waikato		Template:Party name with color
Rangitata		Rangitata River		Template:Party name with color
Rangitīkei		Rangitīkei River		Template:Party name with color
Remutaka		Remutaka Range		Template:Party name with color
Rongotai	and the Chatham Islands	Rongotai		Template:Party name with color
Rotorua		Rotorua		Template:Party name with color
Selwyn		Selwyn River		Template:Party name with color
Southland	Southland and Otago	Southland Region		Template:Party name with color
Taieri		Taieri River		Template:Party name with color
Takanini		Takanini		Template:Party name with color
Tāmaki		Tamaki River		Template:Party name with color
Taranaki-King Country	Taranaki and Waikato	Taranaki region and King Country		Template:Party name with color
Taupō		Lake Taupō		Template:Party name with color
Tauranga		Tauranga		Template:Party name with color
Te Atatū		Te Atatū Peninsula		Template:Party name with color
Tukituki		Tukituki River		Template:Party name with color
Upper Harbour		Upper Waitematā Harbour		Template:Party name with color
Waikato		Waikato River		Template:Party name with color
Waimakariri		Waimakariri River		Template:Party name with color
Wairarapa	Wellington, Manawatū-Whanganui and Hawke's Bay	Lake Wairarapa		Template:Party name with color
Waitaki	Otago and Canterbury	Waitaki River		Template:Party name with color
Template:NZ electorate link		Wellington		Template:Party name with color
West Coast-Tasman	West Coast and Tasman	West Coast region and Tasman district		Template:Party name with color
Whanganui	Manawatū-Whanganui and Taranaki	Whanganui River		Template:Party name with color
Whangaparāoa		Whangaparāoa Peninsula		Template:Party name with color
Whangārei		Whangārei		Template:Party name with color
Wigram		Wigram		Template:Party name with color

Māori electorates

Electorate	Region	Namesake/translation	MP	Party
Te Tai Tokerau	Northland and Auckland	"northern district"			Māori
Tāmaki Makaurau	Auckland	"Tāmaki desired by many" (the Māori name for Auckland)			Māori
Hauraki-Waikato	Auckland and Waikato	Hauraki Gulf and Waikato River			Māori
Waiariki	Bay of Plenty and Waikato	"chiefly waters"			Māori
Ikaroa-Rāwhiti	Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, Manawatū-Whanganui and Wellington	long () eastern () electorate of the North Island / Te Ika-a-Māui		Template:Party name with color
Te Tai Hauāuru	Taranaki, Waikato, Manawatū-Whanganui and Wellington	"western district"			Māori
Te Tai Tonga	The South Island, Wellington and the Chatham Islands	"southern district"			Māori

External links

• Electoral profiles, produced by the Parliamentary Library, New Zealand Parliament.
• Map of electorates with boundaries, produced by the Parliamentary Library, run by the Electoral Commission, the Electoral Enrolment Centre, the Representation Commission, and the Justice Sector.