The New Zealand general election of 1914 was held on 10 December to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 19th session of the New Zealand Parliament. The Maori vote was held on 11 December. A total number of 616,043 voters were registered, of which 84.7% voters turned out to vote.[1]
The election saw William Massey's Reform Party maintain power. The second-ballot voting system had been repealed in 1913, and first-past-the-post voting reinstated for the 1914 election.[1]
Soldiers serving overseas in the NZEF were given a vote by the Expeditionary Forces Voting Act, 1914. They voted for a party (Liberal, Labour or Reform) and their votes were allocated to a candidate for their electorate by a representative of their party; which sometimes required the representative to choose between rival "Liberal" or "Labour" candidates.
Summary of Results[]
Auckland West, Hawke's Bay, Taumarunui, Wairarapa, Waitaki and Wellington Central were won by the Liberals from Reform. Chalmers, Dunedin West, Motueka, and Northern Maori were won by Reform from the Liberals. Nelson and Otaki were won by Reform from independents.
Dunedin North was won by United Labour from Reform. Four electorates replaced their incumbent MP with another from the same party: Christchurch East and Temuka (Liberal), Eden and Wellington Suburbs and Country (Reform).
