The 1908 New Zealand general election was held on Tuesday, 17 and 24 November and 1 December in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 2 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 17th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 537,003 (79.8%) voters turned out to vote.

Changes to the electoral law

The Second Ballot Act 1908 provided for second or

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ballots between the top two candidates where the top candidate did not get an absolute majority. The second ballot was held 7 days after the first ballot except in 10 large rural seats, where 14 days were allowed. In 1908, 22 second ballots were held on 24 November and 1 ( Bay of Plenty) on 1 December. At the

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election, all 30 second ballots were held 7 days later. Two 1909 by-elections (in Rangitikei and Thames) also required second ballots. The Second Ballot Act of 1908, which did not apply to the Maori electorates, was repealed in 1913.

Summary of results

Party totals

The following table gives party strengths and vote distribution.

Votes summary

Electorate results

The following are the results of the 1908 general election: Key , - , colspan=8 style="background-color:#FFDEAD" , General electorates , - , - , colspan=8 style="background-color:#FFDEAD" , Māori electorates , - Table footnotes:

Summary of changes

* A boundary redistribution resulted in the abolition of seven seats: ** Caversham, held by

Thomas Sidey Sir Thomas Kay Sidey (27 May 1863 – 20 May 1933) was a New Zealand politician from the Otago region, remembered for his successful advocacy of daylight saving time. Early life Sidey was born on 27 May 1863, to John and Johan Murray Sidey, i ...

** Courtenay, held by Charles Lewis ** Hawera, held by

Charles E. Major Charles Edwin Major (1859 – 1 June 1954) was a New Zealand politician of the Liberal Party, from Taranaki. He was a Member of Parliament for Hawera in the 15th and 16th parliaments, from 1902 to 1908, having failed to win election in 18 ...

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, held by John MacPherson ** Newtown, held by William Barber ** Waiapu, held by James Carroll ** Waikouaiti, held by Thomas Mackenzie * At the same time, seven new seats came into being: **

Dunedin West Dunedin West was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, in the city of Dunedin. It existed for three periods between 1881 and 1996 and was represented by seven Members of Parliament. Population centres The previous electoral redistribution was ...

** Gisborne ** Stratford ** Taumarunui ** Tauranga **

Wellington South Wellington South was a Canadian federal electoral district represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1867 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867 as the "South Riding o ...

** Wellington Suburbs

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:1908 New Zealand general election