New Zealand - key dates in electoral reform - when it moved from mixed SMD/MMDs to FPTP to MMP
- Tom Monto
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
from "Key Dates in NZ Electoral Reform"
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1853 First election for the House of Representatives -- 37 MPs elected.
a mix of single-member and multi-member electorates;
SMDs used First-Past-the-Post; MMDs used Block Voting
voters had to own land.
Although some Māori (almost invariably tribal leaders) voted, Māori were effectively excluded because they owned their lands under communal title.
not all parts of NZ were inside a district.
district contests held over a period of more than three months, as measured from date of the first election winner to the last.
1867 Four Māori seats were created as a temporary measure for five years, with universal suffrage for Māori males aged over 21.
1871 First elections held using secret ballot for European seats (called 'General' seats from 1975);
78 members
68 European and four Maori seats (all SMDs - held using FPTP, oral vote until 1938).
mix of 66 SMDs and 6 MMDs six districts had two seats
nearly all electorates represented by one MP.
1878 first attempt at electoral reform for PR
Unsuccessful attempt to change New Zealand's parliamentary voting system to STV. This marked the beginning of a period of considerable interest by various MPs in proportional representation voting systems, which lasted until the multi-party system was reduced to a two-party political system in the 1930s.
[Likely the continued use of FPTP (and later mixed FPTP and Block Voting) eventually caused the elections to close down to just two parties in the chamber by 1938. Still about 5 percent of votes were cast for third parties.
But the "two-party system" eliminated the need for PR except on grounds of trying to re-energize the politics by making it possible for third parties to emerge. unlike the cry for PR on grounds of un-representation of masses of third-party voters, it is a more difficult proposition to put forward that PR is needed for the voters who would vote for third parties if they had a more fair system.]
1879 Universal suffrage for non-Māori adult males;
1881 First general election with universal male suffrage;
all MPs elected in single-member electorates;
introduction of 'country quota' allowing rural electorates to have 25 percent fewer people than town electorates;
European elections held on a single day -- December 8.
Māori elections held on a single day -- December 9.
rules defining legal campaign spending introduced.
1889 Number of European seats reduced from 91 to 70, taking total seats from 95 to 74;
multi-member electorates reintroduced in four main centres;
plural voting abolished for European districts - one man, one vote introduced;
country quota increased to 28 percent.
1890 Secret ballot compulsory for all elections except those in the four Māori electorates;
absentee voting rights granted to seafarers.
1893 Universal suffrage granted to women (including Māori) aged over 21;
plural registration abolished;
plural voting for Māori property owners abolished;
only those whose descent was exactly half Māori or less allowed to choose whether to vote in European or Māori seats.
1900 Total number of MPs increased to 80.
1903 All multi-member electorates changed to single-member electorates.
1905 Absentee voting introduced for all electors unable to be in their own electorate on election day.
1908 Second ballot voting system introduced (two-round system?)
1913 Second ballot voting system repealed, and First-Past-the-Post reinstated.
1914 Act passed for Legislative Council to be elected by STV but never implemented.
1990 MMP after two referendums
1993 first election using MMP
2020-ish referendum on dropping MMP
majority of voters voted to keep MMP
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