An electoral history of New Zealand

In 1853 New Zealand held its first election, with 5,849 individuals on the electoral roll given the opportunity to decide their 37 MPs in the House of Representatives. The electoral system replicated that of the settlers’ home, Britain.

The country was divided into a specific number of geographic areas (electorates), each containing approximately the same number of people. Every electorate was then allocated a Member of Parliament (though sometimes more than one in the main centres), with an election giving the job to the candidate with the most votes.

Though there was a constitutional requirement for there to be equal numbers in each electorate, specific communities were prioritised in order to ensure they had representation in Parliament. Pensioners were the first to benefit, gaining their own electorate (and two MPs) comprised of various settlements of retired military personnel.

But this attention to fairness did not extend to who could actually partake in elections. In 1850s Britain, only about one in five adult men was entitled to vote, and New Zealand was even more restrictive. With an estimated population of 91,472 in 1853 (29,600 European and 61,872 Maori), the 5,849 enrolled to vote was only 6.4 per cent of the population. Only males over 21 who owned, leased or rented property could vote – and as most Maori held land under communal title, they were effectively excluded.

In the 1860s, aspeople flocked South in search of gold, special representation extended to the goldminers who got their own MPs. This rapid change in population – which saw the South Island hitting peak gold and popularity – is reflected in the number and distribution of electorates.

Photo: Unknown

Though numerical equality between electorates began to dictate geographic boundaries, they have remained an indicator of change in the population and politics – which soon brought Maori electorates and party politics.

Have a look at this video to see how MPs (represented by a triangle) have moved in line with the periods of massive change in the population (see South vs. North Island, rural vs. urban, and most notably Auckland vs. the rest of New Zealand). The electorate system has grown with it, with 3,070,847 (or 93.7 per cent) eligible people enrolled in our 50th election in 2011. In the current House, 51 list MPs sit alongside 70 directed by the electorates.

There’s been a massive change in just 158 years, but as is the case with Parliament, it represents a changing society.

This content is brought to you with funding assistance from New Zealand On Air.

Cover Image: PhotoNZ