Māori electorates

Uncommon card · No. 112650

A Māori electorate (officially a Māori electoral district and colloquially a Māori seat; Māori: ngā tūru Māori) is a geographic constituency used for electing a member (MP) to represent the Māori people in the New Zealand Parliament. Māori electorates are a type of reserved seat, in contrast to general electorates for the representation of all others. Since 1867, every part of the country has been covered by both a general and a Māori electorate. Originally intended as a temporary measure and a concession to the Māori people by the European settlers who controlled the New Zealand government, the Māori electorates have endured despite other constitutional reforms and have become a distinctive feature of the politics of New Zealand. To be qualified to vote in a Māori electorate, people need to declare that they are of Māori descent. They must also, in common with general electorates, be qualified as an elector and live within the boundary of the seat. The Electoral Commission maintains two...

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