New Zealand likes to believe in democratic fairness; “one person, one vote.” Yet that principle has not been equally applied. In the upcoming 2026 general election, a Māori man and an English man will each cast their 19th vote. For half of those elections the Māori man’s vote counted for less. That history matters. It helps explain why Māori turnout remains lower than it should be, driven by a sense that votes carry less weight and by repeated disappointment. Even though a majority of voters supported retaining Māori wards to address the “systemic exclusion of Māori from local government”, 57% of those wards were disestablished after the 2025 local government elections. This short course is my contribution to ensuring Māori voices are heard and counted.
Ignore the bit at the bottom of the screen asking if you’ve paid or if you have a login. Neither are required. Just click on ‘Sim’s kōrero’ to begin. Throughout, ‘electorates’ and ‘seats’ mean the same thing.
