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Ngā Wari Māori

Māori wards

A local Council may establish Māori wards for their city or district. New Plymouth District Council resolved to establish a Māori ward on 21 July 2020.

Similar to the Māori Parliamentary seats, Māori wards establish areas where only people on the Māori Parliamentary electoral roll vote for the candidates in that ward. The Māori wards sit alongside the general wards of each city or district.

Those voting in Māori wards and constituencies receive the same number of votes as anyone else.

In February 2021, changes to the Local Electoral Act (LEA) removed any options for establishing Māori ward/s other than by resolving to have Māori wards.

A hongi between a man and a woman