This dataset is a high definition version of the 65 general electorate boundaries released by the Representation Commission in April 2020. This HD version is the most detailed geometry, suitable for use in GIS for geometric analysis operations and for the computation of areas, centroids and other metrics. These boundaries will be used for the 2020 and 2023 general elections.

The Representation Commission is convened by the Surveyor-General, its role is to re-draw electorate boundaries to make sure each electorate has about the same number of people. We calculate the general electoral population, number of general electorates, and North Island and South Island electoral quotas using the formula specified in the Electoral Act 1993. When setting the boundaries, the Representation Commission also considers existing boundaries, communities of interest, the infrastructure that links communities (such as main roads), topographical features, and any projected variation in the population of those electorates during their existence.

Data is provided with tohutō/macrons (UTF-8 format). To support users with the compatibility of the data and the applications they might be using, additional fields are also provided in ASCII format.Meshblocks, which aggregate to form electorates, are updated annually by Stats NZ.

The 2020 electorate boundaries reflect a number of minor technical adjustments to meshblock boundaries, not involving population i.e. to follow the correct line of a river or road. The adjustments are visible in a small number of land and coastal areas where electorate boundaries otherwise unchanged between 2014 and 2020 do not exactly align.