General Elections

From the first elections in 1853, these resources cover the history and importance of general election campaigns in New Zealand. Explore also Women’s Suffrage, the Electoral Act, voting rights, MMP, and major parties along the way. SCIS no. 1830959

All items

Images
Election night crowd, Wellington, 1931
Election night crowd, Wellington, 1931
Photographer: William Hall Raine Election night crowd, Wellington, 1931 Reference number: 1/2-066547-F Original negative Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library Find out more about this ...
Articles
Elections (New Zealand)
Elections (New Zealand)
General elections (or parliamentary elections) are held every 3 years when New Zealanders get the opportunity to decide who will govern the country. Aotearoa uses the MMP (Mixed Member Proportional...
Articles
Government (New Zealand)
Government (New Zealand)
New Zealand has a democratic system of government, with elections taking place every three years. The head of government is the Prime Minister. The system of government is also called a constitutio...
Articles
Prime Ministers (New Zealand)
Prime Ministers (New Zealand)
The Prime Minister is the political leader of the New Zealand government and the country. In this entry we will look at what the Prime Minister does. We'll also look at the current Prime Minister ...
Other
General Elections 2023 — resources for schools
Election day for the 2023 New Zealand General Election is 14 October. This resource page provides ideas and resources to help you plan programmes of learning around this significant event.
Other
Teaching voting at school
Help your students become active, enthusiastic citizens with Kids Voting – Te Pōti a Ngā Tamariki as well as through a range of curriculum-based teaching units.
Articles
Elections 2023 Timeline
Learn more about some key dates and events of election year.
Websites
WWW
Elections in New Zealand
A guided tour of the New Zealand electoral system from the Electoral Commission –Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri.
Articles
How government works
The Government is formed after a democratic election held every 3 years.
Articles
Māori Electoral Option Te Kōwhiringa Pōti Māori
The Māori Electoral Option gives Māori a choice to be on the Māori roll or the general roll.
Articles
What is the MMP voting system?
New Zealand uses the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system to elect its Parliament.
Articles
Voting in an election
Voting gives you a say on the people and political parties that will represent you in Parliament.
Websites
WWW
Vote NZ
Information from the Electoral Commission – Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri about how to vote, finding your electorate, the latest news and more.
Articles
What is a referendum?
A referendum is a vote on a question. Referendums are an important part of New Zealand’s democracy.
Websites
WWW
How Parliament works
New Zealand's system of government is known as a constitutional monarchy. It is made up of democratically elected representatives.
Websites
WWW
New Zealand election ads
This website is an archive for students and researchers, interested in NZ election ads.
Articles
MMP voting system
In New Zealand, we vote using the MMP voting system – Mixed Member Proportional.
Articles
Register of political parties
Use this table to get familiar with the registered names of the political parties for the upcoming elections.
Images
Class of 1984
Class of 1984
Cartoon published in the run-up to the 1984 general election is a mock film poster for 'Class of 1984. Screening nightly until July 14. (R20) Coarse language and some scenes may offend. Should be e...
Articles
Mayor keen for electronic voting
Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon wants to entice young Maori people vote via electronic methods, saying it's a clear way of getting rangatahi involved and interested in elections.
Videos
Voting in 2011 general election
Voting in 2011 general election
Although the proportion of eligible voters who actually voted fell in the 2000s, it remained high compared to many other countries. Many of those who vote enjoy the ritual, knowing that it is one o...
Articles
Electoral systems
Electoral systems: the call for electoral reform.
Images
Pro-MMP poster
Pro-MMP poster
This 1993 pro-MMP poster from the Electoral Reform Coalition features a cartoon by well-known cartoonist Murray Ball. The Electoral Reform Coalition, the main lobby group for the MMP (mixed-member ...
Images
MMP poster
MMP poster
A pro-MMP poster.
Images
Implications of MMP
Implications of MMP
This cartoon depicts what many people saw as one of the drawbacks of the mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) electoral system. In the 1996 election – the first held under MMP – the Natio...
Images
Changing to MMP
Changing to MMP
The campaign to change the country’s voting system from first-past-the-post to MMP (mixed member proportional representation) was mounted by people who wanted a Parliament which was more responsive...
Images
The Commission for the Future is scrapped
The Commission for the Future is scrapped
Cartoonists loved drawing our 31st Prime Minister, Rob Muldoon. Muldoon was a controversial figure who polarised the public, especially during the 1981 Springbok Rugby tour. Here he is depicted as ...
Images
Norman Kirk
Norman Kirk
Fences, decks, barbeques, and do-it-yourself (DIY) is a strong cultural trait in a New Zealand psyche based around self-reliance and self-sufficiency. Even prime ministers have been known to do a s...
Images
Get on the roll
Get on the roll
This witty take on ‘toilet humour’ is cartoonist Martin Doyle’s take on the 2011 November general election. It is also a satirical dig at the electoral process and an exhortation (of sorts) to tert...
Images
Opening of the life-saving season
Opening of the life-saving season
This highly detailed cartoon features a middle-aged couple (representing New Zealand) asleep in deck chairs as the tide rolls in around them. Racing to their rescue are two life guard teams with op...
Videos
Parliament 101
A short animation explaining the work of the New Zealand Parliament.
Articles
Electoral systems
Different electoral systems deliver different numbers of parties in Parliament and different kinds of governments.
Articles
Electoral systems, voting and political attitudes
There are many factors, such as age, social class and gender, that influence how people vote.
Articles
New Zealand election results
Official New Zealand results for past General Elections, By-elections and Referendums.
Articles
Māori seats? What are they?
Whether you want them or not Māori seats are a part of Parliament, but where did they come from?
Articles
Nation and government
New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy. The prime minister is the head of New Zealand’s government, which must have majority support of members of Parliament.
Articles
Tōrangapū – Māori and political parties
From the outset, Māori sought representation within Aotearoa’s government, seeing it as a vital way to promote their people’s rights and wellbeing.
Articles
Ngā māngai – Māori representation
Four parliamentary seats to represent Māori were introduced in 1867, with the intention that they would be abolished after five years. In 2002, the seats increased in number to seven.
Articles
Māori and the vote
The involvement of the indigenous Māori people in New Zealand's electoral system is one of the most remarkable stories in this country's political history.
Articles
Election days
General elections have always been important public events. The experience of voting in the mid-19th century, though, was very different from today.
Articles
Elections
New Zealand History – Nga Korero a Ipurangi o Aotearoa resources about the history of elections in New Zealand.
Articles
Election year
This page provides general information about the matters Ministers, departments and other state sector agencies should consider in an election year.
Videos
General roll or Māori roll – which one to choose?
In 2018 the Māori Electoral Option was launched, giving Māori the opportunity to enrol on the Māori or the general roll.
Articles
Parliament
New Zealand has one of the world’s oldest continuously functioning parliaments. Māori were represented in Parliament from 1867, and in 1893 women gained the vote.
Other
New Zealand Parliament: Resources
Find out about the resources available from New Zealand Parliament Education Services for use by students and schools.
Articles
How are general election votes counted?
The process of counting votes for a general election.
Articles
Special votes cast in general election, 6 December 1905
In 1905, for the first time in New Zealand’s electoral history, registered voters who were away from their electorate on polling day were able to cast a ‘special’ absentee vote at any polling booth...
Articles
The fight to vote
In New Zealand on 28 November 1893, women went to the polling booth for the first time. It was a famous victory – a radical change – but it didn't come without a fight.
Articles
Number of electorates and electoral populations: 2018 Census
The number of electorates and electoral populations are used by the Representation Commission to determine the general and Māori electorate boundaries.
Articles
The winning side
This story references general elections, in the context of an election to a school council. “The Winning Side” introduces a few big ideas: the need for a platform, the importance of giving everyone...
Audio
Beginners guide to Parliament
This collection from RNZ goes behind to show us how laws get made.
Articles
Elections and campaigns
Politicians kissing babies and television advertisements trying to convince voters one party is better than another are all part of the run-up to an election.
Websites
WWW
Democracy
Data on an extensive range of aspects of democracy and elections worldwide.
Videos
Parliament TV On Demand
Watch Parliament TV On Demand to see what your MPs debated. Videos are typically available on the same day as the live broadcast, but in some cases they make take up to 24 hours to appear.
Articles
Parliament in election year
Every three years, New Zealand holds a general election. In the lead up to the election there will be some changes to the usual daily workings of Parliament. This section explains what some of thes...
Articles
Local body elections
These pages from Many Answers will guide you to reviewed websites and databases on (New Zealand) local body elections. .
Articles
Forms of government
While the responsibilities of all governments are similar, those duties are executed in different ways depending on the form of government.
Audio
Whakatū Wāhine
Voices of Women Voters of 1893.
Articles
USA Presidential election process
Learn about the USA presidential election process, including the Electoral College, caucuses and primaries, and the national conventions.
Articles
Voting systems in the UK
The House of Commons, Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales, Northern Ireland Assembly, European Parliament and UK local authorities use different voting systems.
Audio
Democracy and politics
A series of podcast stories about politics and democracy.
Websites
WWW
EPIC
Find more information about the New Zealand General Elections on EPIC. Databases recommended: New Zealand Geographic, Australia New Zealand Reference, New Zealand History Collection (BWB). School l...
Newspapers
Cost of general elections
This article from 1912 sums up the total cost of the general elections to the government and cost per vote.
Other
Policy.nz for Schools
Activities to help students learn about the values and policy trade-offs at the heart of the election.
Other
Voting vitality
NZMaths combines the context of voting with the key steps of carrying out a statistical investigation.
Articles
Vote Compass 2023
Vote Compass is a tool developed by political scientists to help you explore how your views align with those of the parties.
Images
Election night crowd, Wellington, 1931
Election night crowd, Wellington, 1931
Photographer: William Hall Raine Election night crowd, Wellington, 1931 Reference number: 1/2-066547-F Original negative Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library Find out more about this ...
Articles
Elections (New Zealand)
Elections (New Zealand)
General elections (or parliamentary elections) are held every 3 years when New Zealanders get the opportunity to decide who will govern the country. Aotearoa uses the MMP (Mixed Member Proportional...
Articles
Government (New Zealand)
Government (New Zealand)
New Zealand has a democratic system of government, with elections taking place every three years. The head of government is the Prime Minister. The system of government is also called a constitutio...
Articles
Prime Ministers (New Zealand)
Prime Ministers (New Zealand)
The Prime Minister is the political leader of the New Zealand government and the country. In this entry we will look at what the Prime Minister does. We'll also look at the current Prime Minister ...
Other
General Elections 2023 — resources for schools
Election day for the 2023 New Zealand General Election is 14 October. This resource page provides ideas and resources to help you plan programmes of learning around this significant event.
Other
Teaching voting at school
Help your students become active, enthusiastic citizens with Kids Voting – Te Pōti a Ngā Tamariki as well as through a range of curriculum-based teaching units.
Articles
Elections 2023 Timeline
Learn more about some key dates and events of election year.
Websites
WWW
Elections in New Zealand
A guided tour of the New Zealand electoral system from the Electoral Commission –Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri.
Articles
How government works
The Government is formed after a democratic election held every 3 years.
Articles
Māori Electoral Option Te Kōwhiringa Pōti Māori
The Māori Electoral Option gives Māori a choice to be on the Māori roll or the general roll.
Articles
What is the MMP voting system?
New Zealand uses the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system to elect its Parliament.
Articles
Voting in an election
Voting gives you a say on the people and political parties that will represent you in Parliament.
Websites
WWW
Vote NZ
Information from the Electoral Commission – Te Kaitiaki Take Kōwhiri about how to vote, finding your electorate, the latest news and more.
Articles
What is a referendum?
A referendum is a vote on a question. Referendums are an important part of New Zealand’s democracy.
Websites
WWW
How Parliament works
New Zealand's system of government is known as a constitutional monarchy. It is made up of democratically elected representatives.
Websites
WWW
New Zealand election ads
This website is an archive for students and researchers, interested in NZ election ads.
Articles
MMP voting system
In New Zealand, we vote using the MMP voting system – Mixed Member Proportional.
Articles
Register of political parties
Use this table to get familiar with the registered names of the political parties for the upcoming elections.
Images
Class of 1984
Class of 1984
Cartoon published in the run-up to the 1984 general election is a mock film poster for 'Class of 1984. Screening nightly until July 14. (R20) Coarse language and some scenes may offend. Should be e...
Articles
Mayor keen for electronic voting
Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon wants to entice young Maori people vote via electronic methods, saying it's a clear way of getting rangatahi involved and interested in elections.
Videos
Voting in 2011 general election
Voting in 2011 general election
Although the proportion of eligible voters who actually voted fell in the 2000s, it remained high compared to many other countries. Many of those who vote enjoy the ritual, knowing that it is one o...
Articles
Electoral systems
Electoral systems: the call for electoral reform.
Images
Pro-MMP poster
Pro-MMP poster
This 1993 pro-MMP poster from the Electoral Reform Coalition features a cartoon by well-known cartoonist Murray Ball. The Electoral Reform Coalition, the main lobby group for the MMP (mixed-member ...
Images
MMP poster
MMP poster
A pro-MMP poster.
Images
Implications of MMP
Implications of MMP
This cartoon depicts what many people saw as one of the drawbacks of the mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) electoral system. In the 1996 election – the first held under MMP – the Natio...
Images
Changing to MMP
Changing to MMP
The campaign to change the country’s voting system from first-past-the-post to MMP (mixed member proportional representation) was mounted by people who wanted a Parliament which was more responsive...
Images
The Commission for the Future is scrapped
The Commission for the Future is scrapped
Cartoonists loved drawing our 31st Prime Minister, Rob Muldoon. Muldoon was a controversial figure who polarised the public, especially during the 1981 Springbok Rugby tour. Here he is depicted as ...
Images
Norman Kirk
Norman Kirk
Fences, decks, barbeques, and do-it-yourself (DIY) is a strong cultural trait in a New Zealand psyche based around self-reliance and self-sufficiency. Even prime ministers have been known to do a s...
Images
Get on the roll
Get on the roll
This witty take on ‘toilet humour’ is cartoonist Martin Doyle’s take on the 2011 November general election. It is also a satirical dig at the electoral process and an exhortation (of sorts) to tert...
Images
Opening of the life-saving season
Opening of the life-saving season
This highly detailed cartoon features a middle-aged couple (representing New Zealand) asleep in deck chairs as the tide rolls in around them. Racing to their rescue are two life guard teams with op...
Videos
Parliament 101
A short animation explaining the work of the New Zealand Parliament.
Articles
Electoral systems
Different electoral systems deliver different numbers of parties in Parliament and different kinds of governments.
Articles
Electoral systems, voting and political attitudes
There are many factors, such as age, social class and gender, that influence how people vote.
Articles
New Zealand election results
Official New Zealand results for past General Elections, By-elections and Referendums.
Articles
Māori seats? What are they?
Whether you want them or not Māori seats are a part of Parliament, but where did they come from?
Articles
Nation and government
New Zealand is a parliamentary democracy. The prime minister is the head of New Zealand’s government, which must have majority support of members of Parliament.
Articles
Tōrangapū – Māori and political parties
From the outset, Māori sought representation within Aotearoa’s government, seeing it as a vital way to promote their people’s rights and wellbeing.
Articles
Ngā māngai – Māori representation
Four parliamentary seats to represent Māori were introduced in 1867, with the intention that they would be abolished after five years. In 2002, the seats increased in number to seven.
Articles
Māori and the vote
The involvement of the indigenous Māori people in New Zealand's electoral system is one of the most remarkable stories in this country's political history.
Articles
Election days
General elections have always been important public events. The experience of voting in the mid-19th century, though, was very different from today.
Articles
Elections
New Zealand History – Nga Korero a Ipurangi o Aotearoa resources about the history of elections in New Zealand.
Articles
Election year
This page provides general information about the matters Ministers, departments and other state sector agencies should consider in an election year.
Videos
General roll or Māori roll – which one to choose?
In 2018 the Māori Electoral Option was launched, giving Māori the opportunity to enrol on the Māori or the general roll.
Articles
Parliament
New Zealand has one of the world’s oldest continuously functioning parliaments. Māori were represented in Parliament from 1867, and in 1893 women gained the vote.
Other
New Zealand Parliament: Resources
Find out about the resources available from New Zealand Parliament Education Services for use by students and schools.
Articles
How are general election votes counted?
The process of counting votes for a general election.
Articles
Special votes cast in general election, 6 December 1905
In 1905, for the first time in New Zealand’s electoral history, registered voters who were away from their electorate on polling day were able to cast a ‘special’ absentee vote at any polling booth...
Articles
The fight to vote
In New Zealand on 28 November 1893, women went to the polling booth for the first time. It was a famous victory – a radical change – but it didn't come without a fight.
Articles
Number of electorates and electoral populations: 2018 Census
The number of electorates and electoral populations are used by the Representation Commission to determine the general and Māori electorate boundaries.
Articles
The winning side
This story references general elections, in the context of an election to a school council. “The Winning Side” introduces a few big ideas: the need for a platform, the importance of giving everyone...
Audio
Beginners guide to Parliament
This collection from RNZ goes behind to show us how laws get made.
Articles
Elections and campaigns
Politicians kissing babies and television advertisements trying to convince voters one party is better than another are all part of the run-up to an election.
Websites
WWW
Democracy
Data on an extensive range of aspects of democracy and elections worldwide.
Videos
Parliament TV On Demand
Watch Parliament TV On Demand to see what your MPs debated. Videos are typically available on the same day as the live broadcast, but in some cases they make take up to 24 hours to appear.
Articles
Parliament in election year
Every three years, New Zealand holds a general election. In the lead up to the election there will be some changes to the usual daily workings of Parliament. This section explains what some of thes...
Articles
Local body elections
These pages from Many Answers will guide you to reviewed websites and databases on (New Zealand) local body elections. .
Articles
Forms of government
While the responsibilities of all governments are similar, those duties are executed in different ways depending on the form of government.
Audio
Whakatū Wāhine
Voices of Women Voters of 1893.
Articles
USA Presidential election process
Learn about the USA presidential election process, including the Electoral College, caucuses and primaries, and the national conventions.
Articles
Voting systems in the UK
The House of Commons, Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales, Northern Ireland Assembly, European Parliament and UK local authorities use different voting systems.
Audio
Democracy and politics
A series of podcast stories about politics and democracy.
Websites
WWW
EPIC
Find more information about the New Zealand General Elections on EPIC. Databases recommended: New Zealand Geographic, Australia New Zealand Reference, New Zealand History Collection (BWB). School l...
Newspapers
Cost of general elections
This article from 1912 sums up the total cost of the general elections to the government and cost per vote.
Other
Policy.nz for Schools
Activities to help students learn about the values and policy trade-offs at the heart of the election.
Other
Voting vitality
NZMaths combines the context of voting with the key steps of carrying out a statistical investigation.
Articles
Vote Compass 2023
Vote Compass is a tool developed by political scientists to help you explore how your views align with those of the parties.

Other resources

Top results for General Elections from AnyQuestions

Elections (New Zealand)
Elections (New Zealand)

General elections (or parliamentary elections) are held every 3 years when New Zealanders get the opportunity to...

Junior Secondary

Local body elections
Local body elections

Local body elections are held every 3 years on the second Saturday in October. This is when people in New Zealand...

Senior Primary

Government (New Zealand)
Government (New Zealand)

New Zealand has a democratic system of government, with elections taking place every three years. The head of...

Junior Secondary

Prime Ministers (New Zealand)
Prime Ministers (New Zealand)

The Prime Minister is the political leader of the New Zealand government and the country. In this entry we will look...

Senior Primary

See all 8 related entries on AnyQuestions

Top results for General Elections from DigitalNZ

audio
Labour’s general secretary talks to RNZ’s political reporters
Labour’s general secretary talks to RNZ’s political reporters

Labour Party general secretary Andrew Kirton tells RNZ that Labour is expecting a high overseas vote in the general...

audio
General election education 101

In the ramp up for the 2017 election, reporters Jack and Sam spoke with Derek Wenmoth the Director of e-Learning and...

stories
The New Zealand general election
The New Zealand general election

A collection of photos of election day in New Zealand, 1887 to 2020.

articles
General Elections 1853–2020 - Election Days

Dates and turnout statistics for New Zealand general elections

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