Why vote
Why your vote matters
Decisions now shape your decade
Rent, student loans, climate policy, wages, transport — the people elected now set the rules you'll live under for years. Others will decide for you if you don't have a say.
Young voters turn out the least
At the last general election, turnout among 18–24 year olds sat well below the national average. Parties calibrate policies to who actually votes — low youth turnout means youth priorities get less attention.
MMP makes every vote carry
Under proportional representation, even small shifts in the party vote can change which parties get into Parliament and which coalitions are possible. No vote is 'wasted' the way it can be in winner-takes-all systems.
The vote was fought for
New Zealand was the first self-governing country to give women the vote, in 1893. Many people had no say for most of history. Voting is the simplest way to honour that.
What your vote means
Two ticks, and what each one does
Your electorate vote
New Zealand is divided into 72 electorates (65 general and 7 Māori). The candidate who wins the most votes in yours becomes your local MP — your direct representative in Parliament.
Your party vote
All party votes across the country are added up. Each party's share decides how many of the 120 seats it gets overall — this is what determines which parties can form a government.
One vote in millions — so why bother?
It's true that one ballot is one of millions. But outcomes are often closer than they look: several seats in recent elections were decided by a few hundred votes. And turnout itself is a signal — a government elected by a low-turnout electorate has a weaker mandate than one where almost everyone had a say. Your vote is your stake in that legitimacy.
Wondering where your values land?
Our values quiz asks ten everyday questions and shows which parties your views sit closest to. It's a starting point for your own reading — not a recommendation.
Take the values quiz