Maori Voting Patterns - Summary of A Report into Māori Electoral Participation

Summary of A Report into Māori Electoral Participation

A 2007 Report for the Electoral Commission by Eljon Fitzgerald, Brendan Stevenson and Jacob Tapiata

Best Outcomes for Māori: Te Hoe Nuku Roa
School of Māori Studies
Massey University
Palmerston North

May 2007

1.0 Executive Summary
Sixty-nine respondents from Best Outcomes for Māori: Te Hoe Nuku Roa household survey were specifically interviewed for this research. In addition the voting patterns of 400 kaumātua/older Māori are also reported.

The profile of Māori who do not vote:
• Age and standard of living were the two main variables affecting voting: i.e. younger Māori with a less comfortable living standard were least likely to vote.
• Cultural identity i.e. the level of involvement in Te Ao Māori had less effect on participants’ propensity to vote than their age, level of education and standard of living.

Participation in the electoral system
• For Māori, participation in the electoral system involves two steps: choosing an electoral roll and then voting in a general election;
• Cultural identity appears to influence voting behaviour and participants’ views of politics. Particularly, cultural identity was significant in the selection of electoral roll and may explain lower levels of faith and trust
in government and politicians;

Māori attitudes towards politics, elections and representation
• Māori participants had relatively greater trust in democracy and voting than they did in the actions of government and MPs.
• Māori participants had high expectations of Māori MPs, and were likely to be more familiar with their Māori electorate MP than either their general electorate or local list MP.
• Māori participants expressed a preference to approach their Māori electorate MP rather than other local MPs in some instances;
• Despite having comparatively low levels of confidence and trust in government and MPs, participants in this study were more politically active than respondents in the New Zealand Elections Study 2005.
• Across a range of “Māori” policy areas, participants were strongly of the view that the status of the Treaty of Waitangi should not be weakened by suggested amendments to current constitutional arrangements.
• A strong preference for the retention of the Māori seats in parliament was consistent with other electoral studies.

Māori Attitudes Towards Policy Issues
Older Māori
• A study of 406 older Māori undertaken in 2006(1)  confirmed the findings  of this study
• 79% of these respondents preferred the Māori electoral roll, 20% general, and 1% reported they were not enrolled;
• 92% of these respondents reported they had voted in the last general  election.

1.1 Introduction
This report has been prepared for the Electoral Commission. It focuses on three specific features of Māori voting and electoral participation;

(1) The profile of Māori who do not vote;
(2) The reasons why Māori participation in the electoral system is lower than for non-Māori;
(3) Māori attitudes towards politics, elections and representation.

Best Outcomes for Māori: Te Hoe Nuku Roa is a longitudinal study of 600 Māori households. A sub-sample of respondents have been specifically interviewed on electoral participation issues. In addition, an overall analysis of the main sample (adults 18 years of age and over) has provided comparison data.

.................For a copy of the Full Report
Click here http://www.elections.org.nz/sites/default/files/plain-page/attachments/massey_report.pdf