Editing Politics of New Zealand (section)

===Elections===
{{Further|Elections in New Zealand|Electoral system of New Zealand}}
Almost all parliamentary elections between {{NZ election link year|1853}} and {{NZ election link year|1996}} were held under the [[first-past-the-post voting|first past the post]] (FPP) [[electoral system]].<ref name="road">{{cite web |title = First past the post – the road to MMP |url = http://www.nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/fpp-to-mmp/first-past-the-post |publisher = New Zealand History Online |website=nzhistory.govt.nz |date=September 2009 |access-date=9 January 2011 }}</ref> Under FPP the candidate in a given [[New Zealand electorates|electorate]] (district) that received the most votes was elected to the House of Representatives. The only deviation from the FPP system during this time occurred in the {{NZ election link year|1908}} and {{NZ election link year|1911}} elections when a [[Two-round system|second-ballot]] system was used; the [[Second Ballot Act 1908|second-ballot legislation]] was repealed in 1913.<ref name="road" /> The elections since 1935 have been dominated by two [[political parties]], [[New Zealand National Party|National]] and [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour]].<ref name="road" />

Public criticism of the FPP system began in the 1950s and intensified after Labour lost elections in {{NZ election link year|1978}} and {{NZ election link year|1981}} despite having more overall votes than National.<ref name="elections">{{cite web |url = http://www.elections.org.nz/voting/mmp/history-mmp.html |title = From FPP to MMP |publisher=Elections New Zealand |access-date = 9 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101224153630/http://www.elections.org.nz/voting/mmp/history-mmp.html |archive-date=24 December 2010 }}</ref> An indicative (non-binding) referendum to [[Electoral reform in New Zealand|change the voting system]] was held in 1992, which led to a binding referendum during the {{NZ election link|1993}}.<ref name="elections" /> As a result, New Zealand has used the [[mixed-member proportional]] (MMP) system since 1996.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last = Roberts |first = Nigel S. |title = Electoral systems |url = http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/electoral-systems |encyclopedia = Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand |access-date=8 May 2017 |date=February 2015 }}</ref> Under MMP, each member of Parliament is either directly elected by voters in a single-member district via FPP or appointed from their [[list MP|party's list]].<ref name="MPs" /> Parliament normally has 120 [[legislative seat|seats]],<ref name="MPs" /> though some elections have resulted in [[overhang seat|overhang]], as is currently the case ({{As of|December 2023|alt=as of December 2023}}).<ref>{{cite news |title=The $5m cost of Parliament's 3 overhang MPs – and how only 29% is salary |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/election-2023-the-cost-of-parliaments-three-seat-overhang-mps-and-how-only-29-is-salary/RYTY7BLHDZELFKAQ5WDJIMXLEI/ |access-date=17 December 2023 |work=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |date=12 December 2023 |language=en-NZ}}</ref>  In the first eight elections under MMP, from 1996 to {{NZ election link year|2017}}, no party won a majority of seats.<ref name="Martin">{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Martin |first1=John E. |title=Impact of MMP |url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/parliament/page-9 |encyclopedia=Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand |access-date=20 July 2023 |language=en-NZ |date=20 June 2012}}</ref>

[[Māori electorates|Seven electorates]] are [[reserved political positions|reserved]] for MPs elected on a separate [[Māori people|Māori]] roll. In 1967, the law was changed to allow Māori to stand for election in the general (non-reserved) electorates, resulting in many Māori entering Parliament outside of the reserved seats.<ref name="NZHistory2">{{cite web |title=Māori and the vote – Change in the 20th century |url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/change-20th-century |website=nzhistory.govt.nz |publisher=[[New Zealand History Online]] |access-date=11 January 2025 |date=21 November 2024}}</ref> Since 1975, all Māori have had the option to enrol to vote in either the reserved Māori electorates or general electorates.<ref name="NZHistory2" /><ref>{{cite web |title = Māori Electoral Option |url = https://elections.nz/democracy-in-nz/what-is-an-electoral-roll/what-is-the-maori-electoral-option/ |publisher = New Zealand Electoral Commission |access-date=8 May 2017 }}</ref>