Between MMP, coalitions, and party votes, there is a lot of terminology to grasp - especially for first time voters.
For those unfamiliar with the political system, here is a breakdown of some key terms ahead of election day as defined by the Electoral Commission.
MMP (Mixed Member Proportional): The voting system that we use in New Zealand. We use MMP to choose who represents us in Parliament. Under this system, a voter gets two votes - a party vote and an electorate vote. A political party must win at least 5% of the party votes or win an electorate seat before they can have any seats in parliament.
Party vote: You vote for the political party you support. It’s one of the two ticks you make when you vote.
Coalition: A power-sharing arrangement where two or more political parties join to run the country together.
Hung Parliament: When an election ends with no single party or coalition winning an outright majority of seats.
Electorate: Voting areas that New Zealand is divided into. When you enrol to vote, you’re enrolled in the electorate where you live. Each electorate contains about the same number of people. There are general and Māori electorates.
Electorate candidate: Someone that people can vote for in an election. Electorate candidates represent their local area or electorate. The candidate who wins the most votes in your electorate becomes your local member of Parliament (MP).
Electoral roll: A list of people who have enrolled to vote.
Māori electoral option: The choice for Māori about which electoral roll to be on: the Māori roll or the general roll.
Ward or constituency: A council voting area, like a parliamentary electorate. City and district councils have wards, and regional councils have constituencies.
Advance voting: A vote that’s cast before election day is called an advance vote. The advance voting period is 12 days before election day.
Preliminary results: Preliminary results released on election night are from the first count of ordinary votes cast before and on election day. Special votes are not included in these results.
Election day is this Saturday. Becoming familiar with these terms will provide useful context for following the results, potential coalition negotiations, and everything else surrounding the formation of Aotearoa’s next government.
