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In New Zealand’s Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system, the party vote largely determines how many MPs each qualifying party gets, while the electorate vote chooses the local MP. After voters cast both votes, party seats are calculated using the Sainte-Laguë formula; electorate winners count toward their party’s total first, and ranked list candidates fill any remaining seats.
What are the two votes for?
| Vote | What it chooses | How it affects Parliament |
|---|---|---|
| Party vote | The party a voter wants represented nationally | It is the main driver of each party’s overall number of MPs. |
| Electorate vote | The candidate a voter wants to represent their local electorate | It determines which candidate wins that electorate seat. |
These votes serve different purposes. A voter may support one party nationally and a candidate from another party locally. The Electoral Commission explains the two-vote system in its MMP overview and guide to how MPs are elected.
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How does New Zealand turn party votes into seats?
- Choose electorate MPs. In each electorate, the candidate with the most electorate votes wins. They do not need more than half of the votes.
- Check which parties qualify. A party qualifies for seat allocation if it gets at least 5% of the nationwide party vote or wins at least one electorate seat.
- Calculate qualifying parties’ seat entitlements. The Sainte-Laguë formula uses the party-vote result to allocate seats, aiming to make each party’s share of seats broadly reflect its share of party votes.
- Count electorate winners toward each party’s entitlement. A party’s successful electorate candidates occupy its seats first.
- Fill remaining seats from party lists. The party’s ranked list supplies list MPs for any seats left in its entitlement after electorate winners are counted.
The Electoral Commission’s MMP explanation gives an illustrative example: a party with 30% of the party vote would get about 36 of 120 seats before any overhang effects. That is an example of the calculation, not a guarantee that every Parliament will have exactly 120 seats.
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What happens if a party wins an electorate but gets under 5%?
Winning at least one electorate seat gives a party a route to qualify even if its nationwide party-vote share is below 5%. The Electoral Commission’s review describes this more precisely as a waiver of the party-vote threshold rather than a separate percentage threshold. Once qualified, the party’s overall seat entitlement is calculated using Sainte-Laguë, and its electorate MP or MPs count toward that total.
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The rule’s effect is visible in the Commission’s discussion of the 2008 election: the Greens received 6.7% of the party vote and nine seats; ACT received 3.6%, qualified through an electorate win, and obtained five seats; New Zealand First received 4.1% and won no electorate, so it received no seats. These are historical examples from 2008, not current party results. See the Electoral Commission’s 2012 MMP review.
What is an overhang?
An overhang happens when a party wins more electorate seats than its party-vote entitlement. The party keeps all of its electorate winners rather than removing an MP to match the entitlement, so Parliament grows by the extra seat or seats. The Electoral Commission says five Parliaments have had overhangs; its MMP explainer lists 123 MPs in the Parliament following the 2023 General Election. That Parliament-size figure is tied to the 2023 election, not a standing total for future Parliaments. Details are in the Commission’s MMP overview.
Why is there a 5% threshold?
The threshold is intended to balance proportional representation with the aim of avoiding an undue proliferation of very small parties. A higher threshold can leave some votes without proportional representation; a lower one may make parliamentary effectiveness and government stability harder to achieve. The Electoral Commission’s 2012 review discusses that trade-off.
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After a Royal Commission recommended MMP, New Zealand held an indicative referendum in 1992 and a binding referendum in 1993. The Electoral Commission’s history records that 70.5% chose MMP in the 1992 indicative vote, and 53.9% voted for change in the 1993 binding referendum. The Commission’s history of MMP provides the background.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can you try a hypothetical seat result?
The Electoral Commission’s MMP seat allocation calculator lets you enter party-vote totals or percentages and assumptions about electorate seats to explore how a result can translate into seats. The calculator page says it was updated in September 2026.
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