New Zealand general election, 1928

New Zealand general election, 1928

1925 ← 13 November 1928 (1928-11-13) → 1931

All 80 seats in the House of Representatives 41 seats were needed for a majority Turnout 88.01%   First party Second party   Leader Gordon Coates George William Forbes Party Reform United Leader since 1925 1925 Leader's seat Kaipara Hurunui Last election 55 seats, 47.7% 11 seats, 22.4% Seats won 27 27 Seat change 28 16 Popular vote 263,382 225,042 Percentage 34.82% 29.75% Swing 9.97% 7.26%   Third party Fourth party   Leader Harry Holland Unknown Party Labour Country Party Leader since 1919 Leader's seat Buller Last election 12 seats, 27.2% 0, 0.35% Seats won 19 1 Seat change 7 1 Popular vote 198,092 11,990 Percentage 26.19% 1.59% Swing 3.50% 1.24%

Prime Minister before election Gordon Coates Reform Prime Minister-designate Joseph Ward United

The New Zealand general election of 1928 was held on Tuesday, 13 November in the Māori electorates, and on Wednesday, 14 November in the general electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 23rd session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total of 844,633 electors were registered on the European roll, of which 743,691 (88.05%) turned out to vote.

1928 was the year postal voting introduced for certain specified groups (e.g. invalids) who could not get to a polling booth on election day.

In 1927, a faction of the decaying Liberal Party formed a new organisation, which was eventually named the United Party. In 1928. to the considerable surprise of most observers and many members of the party itself, United won a considerable victory, taking Auckland East and Grey Lynn from Labour. So the United Government came to power.

Result by Party

Party		Candidates	Total votes	Percentage	Seats won	Change
	Reform	74	271,259	35.87	281	-27
	United	60	228,438	30.20	272	+16
	Labour	59	197,953	26.17	19	+7
	Independent	30	41,767	5.52	5	+3
	Country Party	5	11,990	1.59	1	+1
	Ratana	3	4,924	0.65	0	±0
Total		231	756,331		80

¹ Includes two who won as Independent Reform

²   United  previously contested as   Liberal  

References

• The International Almanac of Electoral History, 3rd edition, Thomas T. Mackie and Richard Rose (Macmillan 1991)