Number of electorates and electoral populations: 2018 Census - Data quality

Data quality Calculating electorates, numbers, and quotas The number of electorates and electorate quotas are based on calculations laid down in the Electoral Act 1993. The formula to calculate electorates is as follows: The general electoral population of the South Island is divided by 16 to give the South Island quota. The North Island general electoral population is divided by the South Island quota and rounded to give the number of North Island general electorates. The North Island general electoral population is divided by the number of North Island general electorates to give the North Island quota. The Māori electoral population is divided by the South Island quota and rounded to give the number of Māori electorates. The Māori electoral population quota is the Māori electoral population divided by the number of Māori electorates. Calculating electoral populations for different areas The Electoral Act 1993 requires that the base totals (census usually resident population count, and electoral Māori descent census usually resident population count; and enrolments on the Māori and general rolls for people of Māori descent) are first aggregated to the geographic level needed, before calculating the electoral populations. A different order of processing may lead to different results. Calculating electoral populations and the number of electorates requires separate calculations at the North Island, South Island, New Zealand, and general and Māori electorate levels. Projected populations used to form electorate boundaries The Representation Commission must consider a number of factors when forming electorates, including any projected variation in the electoral population during each electorate's life. As the commission reviews the boundaries, Stats NZ provides it with projections of the general electoral population of proposed general electorates, and of the Māori electoral population of proposed Māori electorates. For both general and Māori electorates, the commission can allow the electoral population to vary from the quota by up to plus or minus 5 percent. Māori descent derivation/imputation The Māori descent figure derived from the 2018 Census includes an allocation of a proportion of those people who did not provide a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response to the Māori descent question and people counted from administrative data records whose Māori descent status was missing. Liability While all care and diligence has been used in processing, analysing, and extracting data and information in the electoral information release ('Number of electorates and electoral populations: 2018 Census'), Stats NZ gives no warranty it is error-free and will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by the use directly, or indirectly, of the information in the electoral information release. Timing Our information releases are delivered electronically by third parties. Delivery may be delayed by circumstances outside our control. Stats NZ does not accept responsibility for any such delay. en-NZ