Census 2023: Stats NZ confirms the number of general voters should be reduced by one

The number of Māori voters will remain the same: seven. Meanwhile, the number of general electors in the South Island is fixed consistently at 16 by law.

Electoral populations – and therefore general voters – are based on the most recent Census data, including population and housing data, and data on Māori electoral options.

New electoral boundaries will be drawn based on this latest data and population forecasts.

One of the Māori electorates – Ikaroa-Rāwhiti – will also have its boundaries redrawn as its electoral population is currently outside the 5% tolerance.

The general electorate quota is 69,875 people in the North Island and 70,037 people in the South Island.

For Māori voters, the quota is 74,367 people. Each voter population must remain within 5% of the quota.

The Census population – including people who were in New Zealand on Census night – was 4,993,923 – almost 300,000 more people than the 2018 census.

The general electoral population of the North Island is 3,353,982, an increase of 5.5% from 2018.

For the South Island this is 1,120,593, an increase of 7% compared to 2018.

Julia Gabel is a political reporter from Wellington. She joined the Herald in 2020 and most recently focused on data journalism.