Election Party Lists

If you are eligible to vote on Saturday, you will have a list of candidates. Each party lists their candidates in order, from number 1 to 65 or less. You do not vote for these candidates. You vote for a candidate in your electorate and you also vote for a party. The party uses these lists.

Under MMP, if a small party gets 5% of the party vote, they get 5% of the MPs. There are 120 MPs so 5% is 6 MPs. These would be number 1 to 6 from their list. If they get less than 5%, they get no MPs. However, if a candidate from a small party wins an electorate seat, the party vote is also counted, even if it is less than 5%. The party gets that percentage of MPs in Parliament. For example if ACT wins an electorate seat but has only 1% of the party vote, ACT will get only that one MP in Parliament.

There are 70 electorates in New Zealand. 70 people are elected to Parliament this way. The other 50 seats come from the party lists, depending on the party vote. If one party wins 45 electorate seats but has 51% of the party vote, that party gets another 16 MPs from the list.

Questions
1. Usually the party chooses the candidates on their lists and also decides what order to place them in e.g. first, second, third etc. Do you think the party should choose?

2. Some candidates do not win their electorate seat but they are high on the party list so they become an MP. Do you think this is fair?

3. The Prime Minister is number 1 on the National Party list but he is also an electorate candidate. Do you think a Prime Minister should also have the responsibility of an electorate?

4. Do you think list MPs should be paid the same as electorate MPs?