Māori Electoral Option Te Kōwhiringa Pōti Māori

On 31 March 2023 the Māori Electoral Option changed.

The Māori Electoral Option is a chance for all enrolled voters of Māori descent to choose which electoral roll to be on — the general roll or the Māori roll.

If you’re Māori, you can change your roll type at any time, except:

  • in the 3 months before a general election
  • in the 3 months before local elections which are held every 3 years
  • before a parliamentary by-election if the change would move you into the electorate where the by-election is being held.

Before 31 March 2023, you could choose which roll to be on when you first enrolled to vote, then could only change roll types during the Māori Electoral Option, which took place every 5 or 6 years.

What is the Māori Electoral Option? (vote.nz)

What does your choice mean for you? (vote.nz)

How to make your choice (vote.nz)

Results of previous Māori Electoral Options

2018 Māori Electoral Option

Results of Māori Electoral Options 1997 to 2018

Year Changes to electoral roll type New enrolments of Māori descent Impact on rolls Total rolls at end of option
  Māori roll to general roll General roll to Māori roll Māori roll  General roll Net impact on Māori roll +/(-) Net impact on general roll +/(-) Māori on Māori roll Māori on general roll
2018 10,163 7,956 3,407 1,808 1,200 4,015 247,494 (52.4%) 224,755 (47.6%)
2013 8,261 8,859 6,454 2,721 7,052 2,123 228,718 (55%) 184,630 (45%)
2006 7,294 14,294 7,914 2,366 14,914 (4,634) 222,362 (58%) 163,615 (42%)
2001 4,866 13,872 15,138 3,436 24,144 (5,570) 188,366 (55%) 151,889 (45%)
1997 7,040 14,471 2,664 10,517 17,948 (4,767) 163,310 (54%) 141,229 (46%)

Māori representation in Parliament

Māori representation in Parliament began in 1867 and has gone through quite a few changes since then. Today, Māori MPs are elected to Parliament from the Māori electorates, general electorates and party lists.

Other places you can go to learn more about the history of Māori representation in New Zealand are:

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