Smaller Parties, some of them virtually unknown, are among the aspirants in the general election due to be held on September 20, 2014.
According to the Electoral Commission, 15 political parties have been registered to contest (two more than 2011 election).
The Parties
The number of electoral and list candidates, placed at 554 candidates (including 38 Independent candidates), accounts for ten more than the previous election. Among the Parties registered are ACT New Zealand, Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party,
Ban1080, Conservative, Democrats for Social Credit, Focus New Zealand, Green Party, Internet MANA, Labour Party, Māori Party, National Party, New Zealand First Party, NZ Independent Coalition, The Civilian Party and United Future
“Seventy-one candidates are on the party list only and 114 are standing as electorate candidates only. 38 electorate candidates are standing as independents or representing unregistered parties (only registered parties are eligible to contest the party vote). The number of candidates standing both as an electorate candidate and on a party list is 369,” the Electoral Commission said.
Most & Least
The electorates with the most candidates are Epsom and Tauranga with 11 and the electorate with the lowest number of candidates is Hauraki-Waikato with 3.
Among them 390 are men and 164 are women, both higher compared to the 2011 election (397 and 147). The elections website www.elections.org.nz has detailed information by electorate including candidates, advance voting places and Election Day voting places.
