A boundary review is being held to set electorate boundaries for the 2026 General Election.
What's changing?
The Representation Commission is proposing changes to New Zealand’s parliamentary electorates. This includes changes to the boundaries and, in some cases, the names of electorates.
Having your say
Public consultation on the proposed electorate boundaries and names happens in three stages:
- written objections
- written counter-objections
- public hearings
Objections and counter objections
Objections and counter-objections have now closed.
You can view all submissions on the boundary review:
View objections and counter-objections
Public hearings
The Representation Commission will hold public hearings of objections and counter-objections from 9 to 18 June 2025.
- Monday 9 June - Auckland
- Tuesday 10 June - Auckland
- Wednesday 11 June - Palmerston North
- Thursday 12 June - Christchurch
- Monday 16 June - Wellington
What is a boundary review?
After each population census, the Representation Commission reviews and adjusts electorate boundaries.
Regularly adjusting the electorate boundaries makes sure each electorate has about the same number of people. This gives all New Zealanders equal representation in Parliament.
How are electoral boundaries decided? (elections.nz)
The Representation Commission released its draft electorate boundaries and electorate names for public consultation in March 2025.
How many electorates will there be?
After each Census, the Government Statistician works out how many Māori and general electorates there should be. They also work out the population quotas – how many people should be in each electorate.
For the 2026 General Election:
- the number of general electorates in the North Island reduces from 49 to 48
- the number of general electorates in the South Island is fixed at 16
- the number of Māori electorates remains unchanged at 7.
The calculation was made in 2024 using information from the 2023 Census and from the electoral rolls as at 1 April 2024. These dates, and the formula used for the calculation of electorates, are set out in the Electoral Act 1993.
The next time the number of seats will be calculated is after the next Census, which is scheduled for 2028.
Working out how many electorates there should be (elections.nz)
What happens in a boundary review? (elections.nz)
Who reviews electorate boundaries?
The Representation Commission is the independent body that reviews the boundaries and names of electorates. The members include public officials and Government and Opposition appointees.