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MMP (Mixed Member Proportional)
is the new way of electing New Zealand's Parliament.
It will be used at the next general election.
The
MMP Electoral System
This new electoral system was supported by the majority
of people who voted in the 1993 referendum on whether
we should alter the way we elect our Members of Parliament.
This page is comprised of material published by the Electoral Commission.
It tells you the basic facts about MMP
you need to know so you can cast an effective vote.
It also tells you how Parliament will be made up after an
MMP election.
- Fact 1: You will have two votes.
- Your Party Vote is for the political party you most
want to be represented in Parliament.
- Your Electorate Vote is for the candidate you want
to be the MP for your electorate.
- Fact 2: Parliament will usually have 120 MPs.
- 60 MPs will represent 60 General Electorates.
They will be chosen by voters on the General Electoral
Roll using their Electorate Votes.
- 5 MPs will represent 5 Maori Electorates.
They will be chosen by voters on the Maori Electoral Roll
using their Electorate Votes.
- 55 MPs will be list MPs. They will be elected to
Parliament from lists of candidates nominated by political parties.
- Fact 3: MMP is a proportional voting system
- The total number of MPs in Parliament from each party will depend on its share
of all the Party Votes.
- However, a political party must win at least 5% of all the Party Votes
OR win at least 1 electorate seat through the Electorate Vote to receive
a proportional allocation of seats in Parliament.
You will be able to cast two votes at the next general election, each on its
own part of the ballot paper.
One of these is your Party Vote. This part of the ballot paper
shows all the registered political parties that have nominated lists of
candidates for the election. This ballot paper is the same for every
voter in every electorate.
To cast this vote, tick the circle after the name of the party you most
want to be represented in Parliament.
Your other vote is your Electorate Vote. This part of the
ballot paper shows all the candidates nominated for election as the
Member of Parliament for your electorate. This ballot paper is different
for each electorate.
You vote by putting a tick in the circle before the name of the
candidate you prefer.
When you vote -
- you can give your Electorate Vote to a candidate from the
same party as you support with your Party Vote by ticking circles alongside each other;
- on the other hand, you can vote for a candidate from a different party to the one you support with your Party Vote or for an Independent candidate by ticking circles on different lines;
- you can cast both your votes or only one.
Here is a sample
MMP ballot paper.
After an MMP election, Parliament will be made up
of electorate MPs and list MPs.
The candidate who wins the most Electorate Votes in
your electorate becomes your electorate MP.
The total number of Party Votes cast for each party is
then worked out. The final share of all 120 seats in
Parliament won by each party will be close to its share
of all the Party Votes cast at the election.
Each party's total number of MPs will be made up of
any electorate MPs it has plus enough list MPs to
reach its final share of all 120 MPs.
Example 1
Suppose Party A wins 30% of all the Party Votes. It
will then have a total of 36 MPs (30% of the 120
seats in Parliament).
If Party A has 15 electorate MPs, then it needs
another 21 MPs to reach its total of 36. These extra
21 MPs will come from Party A's list. The first 21
people on its party list who haven't won an electorate seat will become list MPs for Party A.
15 electorate MPs + 21 list MPs = 36 MPs
If Party A does not win any electorate seats, then all its MPs will be list MPs.
Example 2
Party A wins 30% of all the Party Votes, but does not have any electorate MPs.
All 36 MPs representing Party A in Parliament will be list MPs.
0 electorate MPs + 36 list MPs = 36 MPs
However, in order to be eligible to get any list seats, a party has to
win more than 5% of all the Party Votes or
win at least 1 electorate seat. This threshold keeps parties with little support from getting seats in Parliament.
Example 3
Party B wins 3% of all the Party Votes and no electorate seats.
Party B will not have any MPs in Parliament
Example 4
Party C wins 4% of all the Party Votes and 1 electorate seat.
It will have 5 MPs in Parliament (4% of 120), including 4 list MPs.
1 electorate MP + 4 list MPs = 5 MPs
- Your Party Vote is for the political party you most want to be
represented in Parliament.
- Your Electorate Vote is for the candidate you want to be the MP for
your electorate.
You will be able to cast two votes at the next general election, each on
its own part of the ballot paper.
One vote is your Party Vote. This part of the ballot paper shows all the
registered political parties that have nominated lists of candidates for
the election. This part of the ballot paper is the same for every voter
in every electorate.
To cast this vote, tick the circle after the name of the party you most
want to be represented in Parliament.
Your other vote is your electorate vote. This part of the ballot paper
shows the names and parties of all the candidates nominated for election
as the Member of Parliament to represent your electorate. This part of
the ballot paper is different for each electorate.
You vote by ticking the circle before the name of the candidate you prefer.
Click here for more information about voting.
- 60 MPs will represent 60 General Electorates.
They will be chosen by voters on the General Electoral
Roll using their Electorate Votes.
- 5 MPs will represent 5 Maori Electorates.
They will be chosen by voters on the Maori Electoral Roll
using their Electorate Votes.
- 55 MPs will be list MPs. They will be elected to
Parliament from lists of candidates nominated by political parties.
An MP can be elected to Parliament as an electorate MP
or as a list MP.
Each of the 60 General electorates, and each of the 5 Maori electorates,
elects its own electorate MP.
The candidate who wins the most Electorate Votes in an electorate becomes its electorate MP.
A list MP is elected to Parliament from a list of candidates nominated
by a registered party before the general election.
There are likely to be 55 list MPs elected at the
first MMP general election.
So the total of 120 MPs is made up like this:
| 60 |
GENERAL ELECTORATE MPS |
| + | 5 |
MAORI ELECTORATE MPS |
| + | 55 |
LIST MPS |
|
|
| 120 | MPS IN TOTAL |
It is, however, possible for there to be more than 120 MPs, or fewer than 120 MPs, after a general election; see page 14.
- The total number of MPs in Parliament from each party will depend on its share
of all the Party Votes.
- However, a political party must win at least 5% of all the Party Votes
OR win at least 1 electorate seat through the Electorate Vote to receive
a proportional allocation of seats in Parliament.
This means that each party's share of all the Party Votes decides its share of all 120 seats in Parliament.
But in order to be eligible for a share of all the seats based on its share of all the Party Votes, a party must cross the threshold: it must win more than 5% of all the Party Votes, or it must win at least 1 electorate seat. This means that parties without significant support will not have any seats in Parliament.
If a party does cross the threshold, its total number of MPs will be made up of any electorate MPs it has plus enough list MPs to reach its final share of all 120 MPs.
If a party crosses the threshold but wins no electorate seats, all its MPs will be list MPs.
For example, a party that wins 30% of all Party Votes will have 36 seats (30% of 120).
If it won 15 electorate seats; it will have 21 list seats to bring it to a total of 36:
| 15 |
ELECTORATE MPS |
| + | 21 |
LIST MPS
| The first 21 candidates on the party's list who haven't won an electorate seat will be elected to parliament as list MPs for the party. |
|
|
| 36 | MPS |
Here's a fictitious election result showing how MMP works:
| Party |
|---|
| A | B | C | D |
E | F | G | TOTAL |
|---|
| % of all party votes |
41 | 25 | 17 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
100 |
|---|
| Total number of seats |
53 | 32 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
120 |
|---|
| Number of electorate MPs |
34 | 21 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
65 |
|---|
| Therefore number of list MPs |
19 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
55 |
|---|
In this example, Party E, Party F, and Party G won
fewer than 5% of all the Party Votes. But because
Party E won an electorate seat, it crossed the
threshold and so it was entitled to a share of all
120 seats based on its share of all the Party Votes.
Party F and Party G did not cross the threshold, so
they won't have any seats in Parliament.
Each party that crossed the threshold has a slightly
higher percentage of all the seats than its
percentage of all the Party Votes. That is because
shares of seats are based on shares of Party Votes
after excluding those cast for parties that do not
cross the threshold (i.e. Party F and Party G). In this
example, 7% of all Party Votes were cast for those
two parties, and so seat allocations were based on
93% of all Party Votes. Party A's share of the
seats has therefore increased to 44% (41/93), and the shares
of seats of other parties that crossed threshold have also increased.
No. You can cast both votes, or only one.
Yes, provided it is not informal as well. However neither of your votes will count if you cast your Electorate Vote for an electorate for which you are not enrolled. That is why it is important that you know which electorate you are enrolled in.
Yes. You can give your Electorate Vote to a candidate from the same party as your Party Vote by ticking circles alongside each other on the ballot paper. On the other hand you can vote for a candidate from a different party or for an Independent candidate if there is one standing in your electorate by ticking circles on different lines of the ballot paper.
Both votes are important, but for different reasons.
The Party Vote is clearly important, because each registered party's share of all the Party Votes decides its share of all 120 seats in Parliament. The more seats a party has in Parliament, the more influence that party is likely to have in deciding what laws will be passed and how the country will be run.
But the Electorate Vote is also important. You can use it to say who you think would be the best person to represent your electorate in Parliament.
A party has to be registered with the Electoral Commission before it can
nominate a party list and be on the ballot paper for the Party Vote. In
order to be registered, a party must have at least 500 current financial
members who are eligible to register as electors.
No. Candidates for unregistered parties and Independent candidates can stand for electorate seats, but they cannot stand for list seats.
A party list is a list of the names of the party's list candidates in the order that the party wants to see them elected to Parliament.
By law, each registered party must allow its members and/or their delegates to have a say in selecting its list and electorate candidates. If a registered party does that, it can choose its list and electorate candidates according to its own rules.
Party lists will be included in information sent to each household about a week before election day. They will also be available in the polling booth when you go to vote, and the parties are likely to advertise their lists.
No. Each party decides the order of the candidates on its list.
Can someone be a candidate in an electorate and also on a party list?
Yes. If they win the electorate, their name is deleted from the party list and the following candidates on that party's list would move up one place.
List MPs will have the same parliamentary responsibilities as electorate MPs. Whether list MPs will also do constituency work similar to electorate MPs will depend on how their parties view their role.
A registered party's spending on election advertising in the 3 months before the election day is limited to $20,000 for each electorate in which it has nominated a candidate, plus $1 million if the parry is on the Party Vote. In addition to these limits on party spending, each electorate candidate can spend up to $20,000 on advertising for their own personal campaign. Candidates and registered parties much provide returns after the election showing what they have spent. These returns are open to public inspection.
Each registered party must provide an annual return showing the name and address of anyone who has during the year donated a total of more than $1,000 at electorate level or $10,000 at national level. In addition, each electorate candidate must provide a return after the election showing the name and address of anyone who donated a total of more than $1,000 for the candidate's personal campaign. All returns are open to public inspection.
Final results cannot be declared until 10 days after election day (the same was true under the old system). This is because the election night count excludes all the special votes cast in New Zealand but outside the electorate for which the voters are enrolled, and all the special votes cast overseas. These special votes must be delivered to the appropriate Returning Officer within 10 days of election day. Final counts are then done and the results declared.
These Party Votes are disregarded when it comes to the allocation of seats. As a consequence those parties that cross the threshold may receive a slightly higher percentage of all the seats in Parliament compared to their shares of the Party Votes. See the table above for an example.
The government in power when the election is called continues to stay in office until a new government is sworn in. A government that has been defeated is called a "caretaker government" during the period between election day and when the new government takes office. By convention, a caretaker government does not make any major decisions unless they are absolutely necessary. Its main task is to continue the day to day business of government. If a major decision does have to be made, the incoming Prime Minister or the leaders of other parties would normally be consulted.
The Governor General has the formal power to appoint the Prime Minister, but that power must always be exercised in a way that is politically neutral and in accordance with democratic principles. Ultimately, MPs voting in Parliament will have the final say, because the government has to have the support of the majority of MPs who vote on a vote of confidence.
In order to stay in office, any government must be able to win certain crucial votes in Parliament, called "votes of confidence". The government may lose other votes in Parliament, but it stays in office as long as it does not lose a vote of confidence. Votes in Parliament on raising or spending money (e.g. the government's annual Budget) are always matters of confidence in the government. In addition, the government can declare a vote in Parliament on an issue to be a matter of confidence in the government. That lets all MPs know that the government has decided that the issue is so important that it will resign if it loses the vote.
The government has to resign. The Governor General then has to decide whether the leader of a party should be asked to form a new government that has the confidence of Parliament, or whether a general election should be held.
New Zealand would then have either a majority coalition government or a minority government.
In a majority coalition government, several parties which together have more than half of all MPs agree to cooperate to form a government. If that happens, there will be ministers from more than one party in Cabinet.
In a minority government, a government is formed from one or more parties that do not have a majority of MPs. A minority government needs the support of other parties that are not part of the government in order to win votes of confidence.
Yes. It is possible for a party to win more
electorate seats than the total number of seats it should receive on the
basis of its share of all the Party Votes. If that happens, the party
keeps the extra MPs and the total number of seats in Parliament is
increased by that number, but only until the next general election. For
example, suppose a party wins 10% of all the Party Votes and is
entitled to a total of 12 seats in Parliament. If it won 14 electorate
seats, it keeps the two extra seats and Parliament will have 122 seats
until the next general election. Seats won by other parties are not
affected.
Yes. It is possible that a party might not nominate enough list candidates to fill all the seats it was entitled to have on the basis of its share of all the Party Votes. It would then not be able to fill those seats, which would remain vacant until the next general election. If that happened, Parliament would have fewer than 120 seats until the next general election. Seats won by other parties are not affected.
Yes, but only for electorate seats. If an MP who represents an electorate
dies or resigns from Parliament, a by election is held just as was done under the first past the post system. If a list member dies or resigns from Parliament, however, the next candidate from that party's list willing to become MP is appointed to Parliament in their place until the next general election.
Yes. There is no legal barrier to an electorate MP or a list MP resigning from one party and either joining another party, or forming a new party, or becoming an Independent while still remaining an MP.
Although percentages are a convenient way of explaining MMP, in fact the Chief Electoral Officer allocates seats proportionally using the "St Laguë" formula which avoids the need to round up or down. Briefly, the Chief Electoral Officer divides the number of Party Votes won by each party that cross the threshold by the series of odd numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and so on, until the 120 highest quotients are obtained. The number of quotients each party has in the highest 120 quotients is the total number of seats to which that party is entitled.
The total number of electorate seats won by independent candidates and by candidates for parties that are not on the Party Vote are deducted from 120 before seats that are allocated according to parties' shares of all the Party Votes. So if an independent candidate won an electorate seat, 119 seats would be available for proportional allocation.
An independent body called the Representation Commission draws the boundaries of General and Maori electorates following the Maori option that is held after each 5 yearly population census. The change to MMP meant that new electorate boundaries had to be drawn before the 1996 census, and a special Maori option was held in 1994.
It is the name of the period after each 5 yearly population census when each person on the Maori roll, and each person on the General roll who said they were of Maori descent when they last enrolled, is able to choose whether to be enrolled on the Maori roll or on the General roll. The number of Maori electorates is based on the results of the Maori option and on the number of people (adults and children) who said they were of Maori descent at the census. The next Maori option is due to be held in 1997. The Representation Commission will then meet to draw the boundaries of
the general and Maori electorates.
Many countries elect their parliaments using proportional voting systems of one type or another. MMP is one type of proportional system. Germany is the only other country that uses MMP. It has been used there since 1949.
The Electoral Act 1993 requires a parliamentary select committee to begin reviewing the MMP system in the year 2000 and to report to Parliament by mid 2002. The committee must also consider whether there should be a further referendum on changes to the electoral system.
You can get on the roll for your electorate by filling in a form called
Application for registration as a Parliamentary elector.
This is available at any Post Shop or Postal Agency, from your local Registrar of Electors
(contact details are in the White Pages of your telephone directory under
New Zealand Post Limited), or by phoning toll free 0800 800 610.
The locations of polling places in each electorate will be advertised before election day. A toll-free 0800 number will also be advertised before election day so votes can ring to get further information about polling facilities in their electorates.
The Electoral Commission is an independent body established by law. Its main functions are to register political parties, to inform the public about electoral matters, and to receive parties' returns of election expenses and donations.
These pages are taken with permission from two brochures, Your Guide to MMP and More about MMP, published by the Electoral Commission.
If you want this information in another language,
or if you want it in paper form,
contact:
Electoral Commission
Te Kaitiaki Taki Kowhiri
P O Box 3050, Wellington.
Tel 0-4-474 0670, Fax 0-4-474 0674