Abstract
ABSTRACTThere has been a dramatic change in the effect that special votes have on the results of general elections in New Zealand. Under the former first-past-the-post system for electing Members of Parliament, special votes favoured the National Party. For example, during the 12 successive elections from 1960 through to and including 1993, Labour Party candidates received an average share of the special votes cast that was 1.58 percent less than their share of election-night votes, while National Party candidates gained, on average, 2.19 percent more special votes than their initial share of the provisional votes tallied on election night. Since the implementation of New Zealand’s mixed member proportional (MMP) representation voting system, however, special votes have favoured the Green and Labour parties. This article documents the effects that special votes have had in New Zealand for a period of more than 50 years and examines why a major change has occurred in the impact that special votes have on the fortunes of New Zealand’s political parties.
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