New Zealand: Referendum, 3 March - 24 March 2016

At stake in this election:

• This referendum will determine if the flag of New Zealand will be changed to a new design or remain as is.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: Queen Elizabeth II (since 6 February 1951); represented by Governor General Lt. Gen. Sir Jerry MATEPARAE (since 31 August 2011)
• Head of Government: Prime Minister John KEY (since 19 November 2008)
• Assembly: New Zealand has a unicameral House of Representatives composed of 120 seats with members serving 3-year terms.

About the referendum:

• This referendum is the second of two that will determine if New Zealand’s flag will be changed. The first referendum, held in 2015, was conducted to choose a new flag design out of five options. The current referendum will present voters with the choice of adopting the new design selected in the first referendum or the keeping the existing flag.

Main provisions in the referendum:

• The referendum will present voters with images of the two flag choices, asking them to select their choice.
  • “What is your choice for the New Zealand flag?”​
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Population and number of registered voters:

·         Population: 4,438,393 (July 2015 est.)

·         Registered Voters: 3,158,576 (2016)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 2,229,467

·         Is New Zealand a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has New Zealand ratified CEDAW: Yes (10 January 1985)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 36 (29.75%)

·         Human Development Index Position: 9 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: N/A

Disability Data:

·         Is New Zealand a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has New Zealand ratified CRPD: Yes (25 September 2008)

·         Population with a disability: 665,759