More young people want to vote in New Zealand's Maori electorates. What are they and how do they work?

"The latest figures show 58% of eligible 18- to 24-year-olds have registered for the Maori roll, up from 50% in 2023. This increase follows years of tense relations between Indigenous New Zealanders and the centre-right coalition government."

"There are seven Maori electorates or seats in New Zealand's 120-seat parliament. You need to be Maori to vote in these electorates, but anyone can stand in these seats."

"When New Zealand first held elections in 1853, only men who owned land were able to vote. But Maori owned land communally, which rendered them ineligible."

"The number of Maori electorates increased from four in 1867 to five in the mid-1990s, and then to the current seven in 2002."

The electoral commission reports a rise in young voter registration in Maori electorates, with 58% of eligible 18- to 24-year-olds registered for the Maori roll. This increase follows years of strained relations between Indigenous New Zealanders and the government. There are seven Maori electorates in New Zealand's parliament, requiring voters to be Maori. Voters on the Maori roll have two votes, one for a political party and another for a constituency MP. Maori electorates were established in 1867 to address voting ineligibility due to communal land ownership.

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