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June 25, 2025
National campaign launched to encourage whanau to enrol
Waatea Team
Posted On June 25, 2025
Download AudioWhānau Ora Commissioning Agency Chair Merepeka Raukawa-Tait is championing the launch of Aotearoa’s longest-ever advertisement-a 30-minute call to action encouraging Māori to join the Māori Electoral Roll and strengthen their political voice.
It’s been just on half a century since the Māori roll option came into being. With pressure on Kaupapa across the spectrum a new campaign has been launched to get young people interested and involved. The longest ad* ever made in Aotearoa New Zealand will be broadcast today, breaking records as it welcomes in a new wave of Māori democratic engagement. Created by The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, the ad is a call to action for Māori to sign up to the Māori Electoral Roll, which when joined, allows people of Māori descent to cast their ballot in seven Māori electorates around Aotearoa. The Māori Electoral Option is a uniquely Aotearoa mechanism that allows people of Māori descent to choose how they are represented in New Zealand’s parliamentary democracy; either through the Māori electorates or the general electorates. Its history is closely tied to the struggle for Māori rights, recognition under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and evolving notions of democracy and equity.
In 1867, Parliament passed the Māori Representation Act, creating four Māori electorates and granting Māori men the right to vote and stand for Parliament. This was a temporary solution, initially intended to last just five years.
At the time:
- Māori were largely excluded from voting because land ownership qualifications favoured individual title, whereas Māori held land communally.
- The Māori seats were seen as a concession to Māori political demands and a response to tensions following the New Zealand Wars.
Although limited in scope, the seats were historic; they gave Māori an official voice in Parliament long before most other Indigenous peoples had political representation. Now; a campaign is being launched; Created by The Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, the ad is a call to action for Māori to sign up to the Māori Electoral Roll, which when joined, allows people of Māori descent to cast their ballot in seven Māori electorates around Aotearoa. People can sign up at maorirollcall.co.nz.
Tame Iti says young Māori need to get involved in politics to make change.
“It’s important for our young people to march, but they must join the call now. We need a political voice, parliament has its place. Now is a moment to call to all whanau, to the people from Te Tai Tokerau down to Te Wai Pounamu. The time is now,” he says.
Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency Chair Merepeka Raukawa-Tait (Te Arawa) says they want to capture the voice of the politically charged young Māori and give them a genuine seat at the table.
“When our people are engaged in the systems that shape their lives, we start to see real change not just politically, but in health, education, and the wellbeing of our whānau. At the end of the day, this is about M.M.P.; More Māori in Parliament. But that’s only going to happen if we can help drive Māori to vote,” says Raukawa-Tait.
She says tamariki Māori are expected to make up 1 in 3 children within the next 20 years.
“We must safeguard our rangatahi’s future with an electoral roll that centres the political system in te ao Māori. I believe the Māori roll is our most powerful manifestation of tino-rangatiratanga, or self determination, for people to have their voices heard.”
From 1867 until 1975:
- Māori automatically went onto the Māori roll and could not choose to be on the general roll.
- Mixed-descent individuals (half-caste Māori, as defined by law) could opt to be on either roll if they applied to the Māori Electoral Officer.
This rigid system remained unchanged for over a century, despite calls for reform. Throughout this period, the number of Māori seats stayed fixed at four, regardless of the actual Māori population.
Major change came with the Māori Affairs Amendment Act 1975, under the Third Labour Government led by Prime Minister Bill Rowling and Māori Affairs Minister Matiu Rata.
This act:
- Created the Māori Electoral Option, allowing Māori to choose between the Māori and general rolls.
- Required Māori voters to make their choice every five years, in the months following the national Census.
While heralded as a step forward, the option was still limited by the census cycle and low public awareness, which constrained Māori electoral growth. The adoption of Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) representation in 1993 significantly reshaped New Zealand’s electoral system. This included:
- The number of Māori electorates became determined by how many Māori voters chose the Māori roll.
- In 1996, the first MMP election, the number of Māori seats increased from four to five due to higher Māori roll enrolment.
This was a significant milestone; it meant Māori had agency over the number of Māori seats in Parliament for the first time. Despite the promise of the option, issues remained:
- It could only be exercised once every five years, locking in choices across two elections.
- Many Māori were unaware of the roll change window, leading to frustration.
- Campaigns were launched to raise awareness, including targeted efforts by iwi, the Electoral Commission, and Māori media.
A persistent debate emerged over whether the Māori seats were still necessary. The National Party, at times, pledged to abolish them, while Māori and progressive voices defended them as a Treaty-based institution. In a major win for electoral equity, the Electoral (Māori Electoral Option) Legislation Act 2023 removed the once-every-five-years restriction.
Now:
- Māori can change between the general and Māori rolls at any time, except during the three months leading up to a general election.
- This change empowers Māori voters to better respond to changing political and personal circumstances and ensures more accurate Māori representation in Parliament.
For Tame Iti, whose life purpose has been a fight for the rights of Māori, the timing is urgent: “The Hikoi was an amazing moment from where I came from 50 to 60 years ago, being able to see that personally. The vibration is there, and we need to capture that moment.”
He says there’s a risk if Māori don’t get involved.
“We need to believe in ourselves and maintain our mana. We’re talking about our mana for the next 20 years, the next 40 years, the next 100 years. We’ll be here forever,” says Iti.
It’s a purpose echoed by Ringatū founder Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki:
“Tēnei te tira hou, tēnei te hara mai nei” – Behold the new travelling party, arriving now with purpose.
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