How New Zealand voters split their party and electorate choices in 2023

Voters make a party and a local choice

The Electoral Commission explains that voters under mixed-member proportional representation have a party vote and an electorate vote. The electorate vote is for a local candidate. The split summary compares the two choices using the commission’s classifications. Source 2 Source 1

Read each rate within its party row

The summary reports a 15.76% split share for National party votes, 22.29% for Labour and 59.98% for the Green Party. Each percentage uses that party’s count in the summary. The rate is separate from its share of all votes cast. Source 1

A high percentage and a high count can differ

ACT’s split share was 72.13%, corresponding to 177,790 recorded split votes. The Greens had a lower share of 59.98% and a higher count of 198,489 because the party had a larger row total. The table keeps counts beside percentages. Source 1

The official total includes a separate informal row

The commission reports 2,867,478 party votes in the summary, including 16,267 informal party votes in a separate row. Across the table it classifies 1,018,112 as split candidate votes, or 35.51%. The informal row remains visible to match the published denominator. Source 1

Sources

• New Zealand Electoral Commission 2023 split voting summary
• New Zealand Electoral Commission mixed-member proportional voting guide