# 2014 New Zealand General Election **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 18, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795 "2014-08-18T00:51:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/41 "2014-09-21T08:46:54Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I thought a party had to have 5% of the vote to have candidates selected from the list, yet the Maori Party got one with only 1.29%. What don’t I know? The threshold is 5% _or_ one electorate. The Maori Party won the Waiariki electorate. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/42 "2014-09-21T08:47:44Z")
There are two types of seat: electorate seats (representing specific geographical areas) and list seats (determined solely on the total party vote across the country). If a party wins at least one electorate seat it becomes entitled to whatever number of additional list seats are needed to take its total representation in the 120 seat parliament up to its share of the list vote. If a party does not win any electorate seats it must reach a hurdle of 5% of the total list vote before becoming eligible for any list seats. On the figures quoted by **lisiate** the Maori Party won one electorate seat and got 1.29% of the list vote. It is therefore entitled to 1.29% of the 120 seats, which is 1.55 seats, which I assume is rounded up to 2 seats. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/43 "2014-09-21T08:48:51Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > The threshold is 5% _or_ one electorate. The Maori Party won the Waiariki electorate. Ah. Thanks! > [@Cunctator](#): > > On the figures quoted by **lisiate** the Maori Party won one electorate seat and got 1.29% of the list vote. It is therefore entitled to 1.29% of the 120 seats, which is 1.55 seats, which I assume is rounded up to 2 seats. And thanks! to you too. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795/44 "2014-09-21T21:53:29Z")
In [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=700770) I predicted that a proportional-representation system would mainly empower centrists. It appears to have worked out that way in NZ, at least. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2014-new-zealand-general-election/695795.md?page=2)