Description of Electoral System:

(courtesy of IFES election guide)

The monarchy is hereditary. In the House of Representatives, 69 members are elected by popular vote to serve a 3-year term and 51 members are chosen by party list.

Electoral Systems Snapshot

(Courtesy of International IDEA)

*Click on links for definitions

WANT MORE ELECTION RELATED STATS FOR NEW ZEALAND? Go to "election databases" on the left-hand menu of this page OR comparative data on the right-hand menu and choose your area of interest.

Elections in New Zealand

(courtesy of wikipedia)

DID YOU KNOW?

New Zealand was the first place in the world to allow women to vote in 1893.

New Zealand general elections occur when the Prime Minister requests a dissolution of Parliament and therefore a general election. Theoretically, this can happen at any time, although a convention exists whereby Prime Ministers do not call elections unless they have no reasonable alternative.

Elections always take place on a Saturday, so as to minimise work-commitments inhibiting people from voting.

The voting process uses printed voting ballots, with voters marking their choices with an ink pen provided for their use. The voter then places the voting paper in a sealed ballot box. Voters can alternatively cast "special votes" if genuinely unable to attend a regular polling place (for example, if they have travelled overseas, or have impaired mobility).

Most Recent Electoral Event

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

2009 Referendum

The New Zealand 2009 referendum took place from July 31, 2009 to August 21, 2009. It was a citizens' initiated referendum regarding parental corporal punishment. The question asked was: "Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?" The referendum was a result of a petition launched in February 2007 as a response to the 'anti-smacking bill' which was passed in the Parliament in May 2007, amending Section 59 of the Crimes Act, removing discipline as a defence for assault against children.

The voting took place by mail. 87.4% of registered voters (1, 470, 755) answered no to the question, while 11.98% of registered voters (201, 541) answered yes. The turnout was 56.09%.

Most Recent Election

(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

2008 General Elections

The people in New Zealand voted in a general election on 8 November 2008 to determine the composition of the 49th New Zealand Parliament, and thus the makeup of the government of New Zealand for the three following years. The centre-right National Party, headed by its Parliament leader John Key, won a plurality of votes and seats. Key announced a week later that he would lead a National minority government with confidence-and-supply support from the ACT, United Future and Maori parties. The Governor General swore Key in as New Zealand's 38th Prime Minister on 19 November 2008.

Since 1999, the social-democratic Labour Party, led by Helen Clark, had dominated three consecutive minority governments. The Labour government failed to secure its hoped-for fourth term, and in her concession speak, Clark announced her resignation as the parliamentary leader of the Labour Party. She had led the party since 1993, and had served as Prime Minister since the 1999 election. Turnout of the election was 79.46 percent.