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 New Zealand portal |
New Zealand is a representative democracy in which members of the unicameral New Zealand Parliament gain their seats through elections.[1] General elections are usually held every three years; they may be held at an earlier date (a "snap" election) at the discretion of the prime minister (advising the governor-general), but that usually only happens in the event of a vote of no confidence or other exceptional circumstances. A by-election is held to fill an electorate vacancy arising during a parliamentary term. Election day is always a Saturday, but advance voting is allowed in the lead-up to it. The most recent general election took place on 14 October 2023.[2]
New Zealand has a multi-party system due to proportional representation. The introduction of the mixed-member proportional (MMP) voting system in 1993 was the most significant change to the electoral system in the 20th century.[1] The Electoral Commission is responsible for the administration of parliamentary elections.[3] The introduction of MMP has led to mostly minority or coalition governments, but the first party to win an outright majority since the introduction of MMP was the Labour Party, led by Jacinda Ardern, in 2020.[4]
Local government politicians, including mayors and councillors, are voted in during local elections, held every three years. Most of these elections use the first-past-the-post (FPP) voting system, however, at the last local elections in 2022, 15 councils used the single transferable vote (STV) system,[5] which has increasingly been adopted by councils since the 2000s.[6]
- ^ a b Palmer, Matthew (20 June 2012). "Constitution – Representative democracy and Parliament". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- ^ "2023 General Election". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ "About the Electoral Commission". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
- ^ "Kiwi PM Jacinda Ardfern vows unity as she wins historic majority". The Australian. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ "Local elections and voting". www.lgnz.co.nz. Local Government New Zealand. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
- ^ "2007 Local Elections". Elections New Zealand. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2008.