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Story: Electoral systems

Results of the 1993 referendum on the electoral system

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Grey and green horizontal bar graph

These graphs show the results of the binding referendum on the electoral system. It was held at the same time as the 1993 general election and therefore attracted a high turnout. As the graphs reveal, the mixed-member proportional (MMP) system was favoured by voters on the Māori roll, who probably believed that it would allow for stronger expression of minority viewpoints such as Māori opinion. On the other hand, South Island voters on the general roll were evenly divided on the issue.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Sources: Electoral Commission; Neill Atkinson, Adventures in democracy: a history of the vote in New Zealand. Dunedin: University of Otago Press in association with the Electoral Commission, 2003

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How to cite this page

Nigel S. Roberts, Electoral systems – The 1990s electoral-reform referendums, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/35700/results-of-the-1993-referendum-on-the-electoral-system (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Nigel S. Roberts, published 14 June 2012, updated 1 February 2015.