Representation, identity and indigeneity: changes in Maori roll choice in Aotearoa-New Zealand

In New Zealand, also known by its Indigenous Maori name Aotearoa, voters of Maori descent have the choice between the Maori roll and the General roll. The boundaries of the seven dedicated Maori electoral districts are superimposed over those of the 65 General districts. Every five years, after the census, persons who have reported Maori descent have the option to change between electoral rolls. Choice of the Maori roll indicates a strong sense of Maori identity and a belief that it is important that the Maori seats remain to guarantee Parliamentary representation by Maori MPs, elected only by Maori. Using a unique dataset sampled from the electoral rolls, plus entire electoral rolls, we investigate roll locations and roll shifts of persons claiming Maori descent across age, gender, spatial location and other factors, merging in census local area census data to estimate linguistic contextual effects. We test hypotheses related to generational socialisation, speaking the Maori language, occupational mobility, household context, and the timing of enrolments. We confirm that identity as Maori, expressed most strongly through language context, has strong effects on Maori roll enrolment, but also find that other factors offset its impact on the number of Maori electorates.