1853-2020 general elections Overview

From
July 1853
To
October 2020
Dates and turnout of New Zealand General Elections from 1853 to 2020.

Date of general election Date of Māori election Total no. of MPs Total registered electors Official turnout (%)
1853 14 Jul-1 Oct   37 5,849  
1855 26 Oct-28 Dec   37 9,891  
1860-1 12 Dec-28 Mar   53 13,196  
1866 12 Feb-6 Apr   70 29,320  
1868   15 Apr, 6 May 76    
1871 14 Jan-23 Feb 1, 15 Feb 78 41,527  
1875-6 20 Dec-29 Jan 4, 15 Jan 88 56,471  
1879 28 Aug-15 Sep 1, 8 Sep 88 82,271 66.5
1881 9 Dec (Fri) 8 Dec (Thu) 95 120,972 66.5
1884 22 Jul (Tue) 21 Jul (Mon) 95 137,686 60.6
1887 26 Sep (Mon) 7 Sep (Wed) 95 175,410 67.1
1890 5 Dec (Fri) 27 Nov (Wed) 74 183,171 80.4
1893 28 Nov (Tue) 20 Dec (Wed) 74 302,997 75.3
1896 4 Dec (Wed) 19 Dec (Thu) 74 337,024 76.1
1899 6 Dec (Wed) 19 Dec (Tue) 74 373,744 77.6
1902 25 Nov (Tue) 22 Dec (Mon) 80 415,789 76.7
1905 6 Dec (Wed) 20 Dec (Wed) 80 476,473 83.3
1908 17, 24 Nov & 1 Dec (Tue) 2 Dec (Wed) 80 537,003 79.8
1911 7, 14 Dec (Thu) 19 Dec (Tue) 80 590,042 83.5
1914 10 Dec (Thu) 11 Dec (Fri) 80 616,043 84.7
1919 17 Dec (Wed) 16 Dec (Tue) 80 683,420 80.5
1922 7 Dec (Tue) 6 Dec (Mon) 80 700,111 88.7
1925 4 Nov (Wed) 3 Nov (Tue) 80 754,113 90.9
1928 14 Nov (Wed) 13 Nov (Tue) 80 844,633 88.1
1931 2 Dec (Wed) 1 Dec (Tue) 80 874,787 83.3
1935 27 Nov (Wed) 26 Nov (Tue) 80 919,798 90.8
1938 15 Oct (Sat) 14 Oct (Fri) 80 995,173 92.9
1943 25 Sep (Sat) 24 Sep (Fri) 80 1,021,034 82.8
1946 27 Nov (Wed) 26 Nov (Tue) 80 1,081,898 93.5
1949 30 Nov (Wed) 29 Nov (Tue) 80 1,113,852 93.5
1951 1 Sep (Sat hereafter)   80 1,205,762 89.1
1954 13 Nov   80 1,209,670 91.4
1957 30 Nov   80 1,252,329 92.9
1960 26 Nov   80 1,310,742 89.8
1963 30 Nov   80 1,345,836 89.6
1966 26 Nov   80 1,409,600 86.0
1969 29 Nov   84 1,519,889 88.9
1972 25 Nov   87 1,583,256 89.1
1975 29 Nov   87 1,953,050 82.5
1978 25 Nov   92 2,487,594 69.2
1981 28 Nov   92 2,034,747 91.4
1984 14 Jul   95 2,111,651 93.7
1987 15 Aug   97 2,114,656 89.1
1990 27 Oct   97 2,202,157 85.2
1993 6 Nov   99 2,321,664 85.2
1996 12 Oct   120 2,418,587 88.3
1999 27 Nov   120 2,509,365 84.8
2002 27 Jul   120 2,670,030 77.0
2005 17 Sep   121 2,847,396 80.9
2008 8 Nov   122 2,990,759 79.5
2011 26 Nov   121 3,070,847 74.2
2014 20 Sep   121 3,140,417 77.9
2017 23 Sep   120 3,298,009 79.8
2020 17 October   120 2,919,073 82.2

Date of general election

Voting in New Zealand’s first general elections, from 1853 to 1879, took place over a period of weeks or months. 

From 1881 a single day was specified for voting in all general electorates. Voting in the Māori electorates was held on a different day. Since 1951 voting in general and Māori electorates have taken place on the same day, and always on a Saturday.

Total registered electors

The way enrolment figures have been recorded has changed over the years.

  • Early figures include electors enrolled in uncontested seats, who are excluded when calculating turnout. All seats have been contested since 1943.
  • Figures from 1860-1 to 1879 exclude gold miners who were entitled to vote without registration.
  • Registered elector figures up until 1951 do not include voters in the Māori electorates. Rolls for the Māori electorates were not compiled until 1949.

How turnout is calculated

Nowadays, official turnout is the total number of votes cast as a percentage of those enrolled. The total votes cast includes valid votes, informal votes and disallowed votes. 

The way official turnout is calculated has changed over time.

  • Until 1954 it was valid votes plus informal votes as a percentage of total enrolled electors.
  • From 1957 to 1978 it was valid votes plus informal votes as a percentage of total enrolled electors plus allowed special votes.

More information on the figures in this table

More detailed notes on the enrolment and turnout figures in this table for elections from 1853 to 2011 are available on the New Zealand History website.

See the table on the New Zealand History website

General election results, enrolment and turnout figures from 1996 until now are available on the Commission’s results website, along with results for by-elections and referendums. 

Find the results for elections from 1996 until now

See the results of elections held between 1890 and 1993

 

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