3 June - 9 June

Everyone has a say in the way the country is governed and who it’s leaders are.

In Aotearoa / New Zealand, all citizens and permanent residents over the age of 18 have the right to vote in elections.

These votes decide who will lead or govern Aotearoa for the next parliamentary term of three years.

Suffrage

The right to vote is an awesome privilege and a serious responsibility but nowadays it is something we often take for granted.

This is called suffrage or franchise.

Originally, not every citizen of New Zealand had the right to vote - it was only following a long and difficult struggle that everyone achieved this right and became enfranchised.

In Google Classroom, you have a reading exercise set for you. 

1. Read the story.

2. Make note of any words you don’t know in your book.

3. Define those words.

4. Answer multi-choice and short answer questions.

5. Complete long answer questions.

Fill in the Blanks

Between 1840 and 1854 a governor representing Queen _______ of ____________, ruler of the United Kingdom, ruled New Zealand. Settlers in New Zealand wanted to be able to elect their own representatives, so the British Parliament passed the New Zealand ________ Act in 1852, which meant New Zealand could form its own government,

New Zealand’s first elections were held in the year________.

Only ______ over the age of ______ were enfranchised. 

To be entitled to vote, the person must have ________ property, or must have been renting property.

This meant that most Pākehā men were eligible to vote but few __________ men could vote.

Parliament started off being based in Auckland, but in 1865 it was moved to __________, as this town was more centrally located.

In the year ____, Māori men gained the right to vote in four Māori seats.

In 1879, the decision was taken to do away with the requirement to rent or own _________ in order to have the franchise. This meant that all men in New Zealand had the right to _________.