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Māori electorates
Electoral districts for Māori voters in New Zealand / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In New Zealand politics, Māori electorates, colloquially known as the Māori seats (Māori: Ngā tūru Māori),[1] are a special category of electorate that give reserved positions to representatives of Māori in the New Zealand Parliament. Every area in New Zealand is covered by both a general and a Māori electorate; as of 2020, there are seven Māori electorates.[2][3] Since 1967, candidates in Māori electorates have not needed to be Māori themselves, but to register as a voter in the Māori electorates people need to declare that they are of Māori descent.[4]
![Map of the seven Māori electorates](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/New_Zealand_M%C4%81ori_electorates_%28since_2020%29.svg/320px-New_Zealand_M%C4%81ori_electorates_%28since_2020%29.svg.png)
The Māori electorates were introduced in 1867 under the Maori Representation Act.[5] They were created in order to give Māori a more direct say in parliament. The first Māori elections were held in the following year during the term of the 4th New Zealand Parliament. The electorates were intended as a temporary measure lasting five years but were extended in 1872 and made permanent in 1876.[6] Despite numerous attempts to dismantle Māori electorates, they continue to form a distinct part of the New Zealand political landscape.[7]