In one paragraph
New Zealand uses Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) for general elections. Each voter casts two votes on the same ballot — one for an electorate MP, one for a political party. The party vote determines each party's overall share of 120 seats in Parliament, subject to a 5% threshold or winning an electorate seat. Parliament's term is three years. The voting age is 18, and enrolment is compulsory but voting itself is voluntary. Elections are run by the Electoral Commission.
Practise this topic now
5 source-cited practice questions covering voting and democracy. Every answer links to the Electoral Commission or the Electoral Act 1993.
Practise Voting & Democracy →What you need to know for the test
- MMP, since 1996. Adopted by referendum in 1993; first election under MMP was 1996.
- Two votes per ballot. An electorate vote (for a local MP) and a party vote (for a political party).
- 5% threshold OR one electorate seat. A party generally needs at least 5% of the nationwide party vote, OR to win at least one electorate seat, to get a share of list seats.
- 120 seats in Parliament, normally. The number can rise slightly because of "overhang" if a party wins more electorate seats than its party-vote share entitles it to.
- 3-year term. Set by section 17 of the Constitution Act 1986.
- Voting age: 18. Set by section 74 of the Electoral Act 1993.
- Compulsory enrolment, voluntary voting. You must enrol if eligible (section 82 of the Electoral Act 1993), but no one is required to vote on election day.
- Who can vote. New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, aged 18 or older, who have lived continuously in NZ for at least one year at some point.
- The Electoral Commission is the independent body that runs elections and maintains the electoral roll.
What this topic covers
How MMP actually works
Two votes per ballot. The party vote is the more important one — it determines how many of the 120 seats each party gets in Parliament. The electorate vote determines who represents your local seat. NZ has 72 electorate seats (general electorates + Māori electorates); the other ~48 seats are filled from each party's list to make their total share match their party-vote percentage.
The 5% threshold
To get list seats, a party needs at least 5% of the nationwide party vote OR to win at least one electorate seat. This is to prevent very tiny parties from getting seats from a handful of votes.
Forming a government
After an election, the party (or coalition of parties) that can command a majority in Parliament forms the government. NZ rarely has single-party majority governments under MMP, so coalitions and confidence-and-supply agreements are common. The Governor-General formally appoints the Prime Minister.
Māori electoral roll
Voters of Māori descent can choose to be on the general roll or the Māori roll. The Māori roll elects MPs for the Māori electorates. You can switch rolls during set periods between elections.
Voting methods
You can vote on election day at any voting place, vote in advance during the advance-voting period, or apply for a postal vote in special circumstances (overseas, hospital, disability).
Local elections are separate
Local government elections run on a different cycle from general elections and use different voting systems. You vote for your city or district council (mayor and councillors), your regional council (or, in Auckland, the Auckland Council and local boards), and in some areas licensing trusts. Many councils use Single Transferable Vote (STV) rather than MMP. District health boards were abolished by the Pae Ora reforms in 2022, so they are no longer elected.
Where to read the law itself
Common misconceptions to watch for
"You vote directly for the Prime Minister."
No. You vote for an electorate MP and for a party. The PM is the leader of whichever party (or coalition) can command a majority in Parliament. There is no separate ballot for the Prime Minister.
"Voting is compulsory."
No. Only enrolment is compulsory. Once you are enrolled, you can choose to vote or not. NZ is different from Australia, where voting itself is compulsory.
"The voting age is 16."
The voting age in New Zealand is 18, set by section 74 of the Electoral Act 1993. There has been public debate about lowering it, but the law has not changed.
"Permanent residents cannot vote."
NZ is unusual: permanent residents who have lived in NZ continuously for at least one year at some point are eligible to vote, as well as NZ citizens. Many other countries restrict voting to citizens only.
"The party with the most party-vote percentage always forms the government."
Not always. The party (or coalition) that can command a majority of seats forms the government. Under MMP this often means a smaller party can be part of government, even if a larger party 'won' the headline vote, because the larger party couldn't reach a majority on its own.
Related pages
- Practise Voting & Democracy — 5 source-cited questions.
- All six citizenship test topic areas — index of topic guides.
- NZ Citizenship Test 2027 — main guide — format, eligibility, how to prepare.
- Changelog — public log of updates and source checks.
Topic page last verified 2026-05-13 against the Electoral Commission's published guides, the Electoral Act 1993, and the Constitution Act 1986. We re-verify against the official DIA syllabus the moment it is published.