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Congratulations on becoming a New Zealand citizen! Voting in a general election is an opportunity to help decide who represents you and which parties have the chance to govern the country.

New Zealand’s voting system can seem confusing at first, especially if you have moved from a country with a different system. The key idea is this: you get two votes, they do two different jobs, and the government is formed through Parliament.

1. Your two votes: party vote and electorate vote

New Zealand uses a system called MMP, which stands for Mixed Member Proportional. In simple terms, it is designed to make the number of seats each party gets in Parliament broadly reflect its share of the party vote.

Vote 1: The party vote

Helps decide who governs

You choose one political party.

This vote is the main factor determining how many of the 120 seats in Parliament each party receives.

For example, if a party receives about 30% of the party vote, it would generally be entitled to about 36 of the 120 seats, subject to the MMP rules.

Vote 2: The electorate vote

Helps choose your local MP

You choose one candidate standing in the electorate (local voting area) where you are enrolled.

The candidate with the most votes wins that electorate and becomes its Member of Parliament (MP).

You can vote for a candidate from a different party than the one you chose with your party vote.

A simple example

Imagine you vote for Party A with your party vote, but you prefer the local candidate from Party B.

That is completely allowed:

• Party vote: Party A
• Electorate vote: Party B’s local candidate

Your votes do not have to match. You are making two separate choices.

2. How does your vote turn into seats in Parliament?

After the votes are counted, the Electoral Commission works out how many seats each eligible party should receive. What is MMP?How are MPs elected?

Here is a simplified example using a Parliament of 120 seats. These are imaginary results, not predictions for the 2026 election.

Example: party votes become seats

Party A

40% of party votes

48 seats

Party B

30% of party votes

36 seats

Party C

15% of party votes

18 seats

Party D

10% of party votes

12 seats

Party E

5% of party votes

6 seats

In this simplified example, each party's share of seats matches its share of the party vote.

There are two important rules to understand:

• The 5% rule: A party normally needs at least 5% of all party votes to qualify for seats.
• The electorate-seat exception: A party that wins at least one electorate seat can also qualify for its share of seats, even if it receives less than 5% of the party vote. How are MPs elected?

Once a party's total number of seats is calculated, its electorate MPs fill some or all of those seats. Its remaining seats are filled by candidates from its party list. This is why you may see MPs elected even though they did not win a local electorate.

3. How is a government formed?

This is the next important step: winning the most seats does not automatically mean a party can govern by itself.

Step 1: People vote

Voters choose their parties and local candidates. The votes are counted and the seats in Parliament are allocated.

Step 2: Parties look at the numbers

A party or group of parties generally needs the support of a majority of MPs — usually at least 61 out of 120 seats — to govern with a majority.

Step 3: Parties negotiate

If no party has enough seats alone, parties discuss whether they can work together. They negotiate about their priorities, policies and support for a government.

Step 4: A government takes office

Once it is clear which arrangement has the confidence of Parliament, the Governor-General appoints the Prime Minister and government. Chapter 5 - GovernmentWhat is our MMP voting system?

What do coalition and support agreements mean?

You will often hear these terms when election results are discussed.

Coalition government

Two or more parties agree to govern together. They may share ministerial jobs and jointly decide government priorities.

Confidence and supply agreement

One party agrees to support another government's survival in Parliament and its budget funding. It may still disagree with that government on other policies.

Minority government

A government made up of parties that do not hold a majority of seats themselves. It relies on support from other MPs or parties to stay in office and pass important votes.

These arrangements mean that a smaller party can sometimes have a significant role in government, even if it receives a much smaller share of the party vote than the largest parties. Chapter 5 - GovernmentWhat is our MMP voting system?

4. What does this mean when you choose your two votes?

Your two votes allow you to think about two different questions.

Your question	Vote to consider
Which party's ideas and policies do I want to help gain representation in Parliament?	Party vote
Which person do I want representing my local area?	Electorate vote

You can consider a party's policies on work, housing, health, education, taxes, immigration, transport or other issues that matter to you. You can also look at a local candidate's experience, priorities and plans for your community.

You do not need to agree with every policy a party supports, and you do not have to vote for the same party and candidate. It is your decision how you weigh the different issues.

5. Important dates for the 2026 general election

Saturday 7 November 2026

New Zealand's general election day. Voting places are scheduled to be open from 9 am to 7 pm.

Monday 26 October 2026

Advance voting is scheduled to begin, so you can vote before election day.

Sunday 25 October 2026

The deadline to enrol or update your enrolment details for this election is midnight. Check your details now if you have not already done so.

Official information: Vote NZ — 2026 general election. What to doKey dates for 2026 General Election

As a newly naturalised citizen, you can check the official voting eligibility requirements and your enrolment at Vote NZ. You can also ask for help reading or marking your voting paper at a voting place. Staff can explain the process without telling you whom to vote for. What to doVote in elections

6. A useful way to prepare

You do not have to understand every detail of New Zealand politics before you vote. A good starting point is to compare the parties' policies on issues that affect your life, then learn about the candidates standing in your electorate.

The most important thing to remember is:

• Your party vote helps decide the balance of parties in Parliament.
• Your electorate vote chooses your local MP.
• The government is formed by the party or parties able to secure Parliament's support.

For a first-time voter, those three ideas provide a solid foundation for understanding the election.