An electorate is a geographic area that elects one MP to Parliament. New Zealand is divided into general electorates and Māori electorates. Boundaries are redrawn after each census by an independent body so that each electorate contains roughly the same number of people, keeping every vote about equally weighted.
An electorate is a geographic area that elects one MP to Parliament. New Zealand is divided into general electorates and Māori electorates. Boundaries are redrawn after each census by an independent body so that each electorate contains roughly the same number of people, keeping every vote about equally weighted.
One electorate, one MP.
Boundaries are set by an independent commission, not by politicians.
They change after each census as populations move.
Rural electorates cover huge distances, city ones only a few suburbs.
People move house. If boundaries never changed, some MPs would represent 30,000 people and others 90,000, which would make some votes worth more than others.
So after each census the Representation Commission redraws the map to even things out. It is deliberately independent, so no party can draw lines to suit itself.
Because the rule is about people rather than land, an electorate in central Auckland may be a handful of suburbs while a South Island electorate can take most of a day to drive across.
How many electorates are there?
For the 2026 General Election, New Zealand has 71 electorates: 64 general electorates and seven Māori electorates.
Who decides the boundaries?
The Representation Commission, an independent body.