# 1911 New Zealand general election

The 1911 New Zealand general election was held on Thursday, 7 and 14 December in the general electorates, and on Tuesday, 19 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 18th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 590,042 (83.5%) voters turned out to vote. In two seats (Eastern Maori and Gisborne) there was only one candidate (not one seat, as in Wilson).

## Outcome

The result was that the Liberal Party, which had won a majority of seats (50 of 80) in Parliament, lost 17 seats and its majority, winning only 33. The Reform Party gained 9 to obtain a plurality (37) of seats. Liberal Prime Minister Joseph Ward was able to retain office, but in 1912, Reform Party founder William Massey formed a new government.
Joseph Ward hoped to remain in power with the support of independents and Labour Party members. Several candidates before the election made commitments to support the Ward Government in the event of a no-confidence motion in the House of Representatives. Ward considered delaying a new session of the house, perhaps for six months until June 1912, but following some tough talking from the Governor-General John Dickson-Poynder, he set the date as 15 February. To speed up the negotiating process, Ward promised to resign as Prime Minister after the Reform Party's no-confidence motion was defeated. The end result was even at 39 all, with the Speaker casting the deciding vote in favour of the Ward Government. Joseph Ward then resigned as Prime Minister on 28 March 1912. He was succeeded by Thomas Mackenzie and his new Cabinet was sworn in. The Mackenzie Government lasted only two months and was defeated by a no-confidence motion, 41 votes to 33 on 5 July 1912.
The Second Ballot Act 1908 provided for second or runoff ballots between the top two candidates where the top candidate did not get an absolute majority. The second ballot was held seven days after the first ballot except in ten large rural seats, where fourteen days was allowed. At the 1911 election, all 30 second ballots were held seven days later. Two 1913 by-elections (Grey and Lyttelton) also required second ballots.
The Second Ballot Act did not apply to the Maori electorates, and was used only in 1908 and 1911, as it was repealed in 1913.
In 1911 were the first triennial national referendum on prohibition of alcohol. Referendums were subsequently held in conjunction with each general election (except for 1931 and 1951) until they were abolished in 1989.

## Summary of results
### Party totals

Election results :
| Party | Candidates | Total votes | Percentage | Seats won |
| Reform | 64 | 159,309 | 33.37 | 37 |
| Liberal | 89 | 163,401 | 34.23 | 33 |
| Labour | 20 | 35,869 | 7.51 | 4 |
| Socialist | 8 | 9,091 | 1.90 | 0 |
| Independent | 59 | 109,666 | 22.97 | 6 |
| | 240 | 477,336 | | 80 |

### Votes summary

Popular Vote
Liberal
34.23%
Reform
33.37%
Labour
7.51%
Socialist
1.90%
Independents
22.97% :
Parliament seats
Reform
46.25%
Liberal
41.25%
Labour
5.00%
Independents
7.50% :

## Results

The following are the results of the 1911 general election:
Key
| Reform | Liberal | Labour | Independent Liberal | Independent Labour |
| Socialist | Liberal–Labour | Independent | Affiliation unknown |
Electorate results for the 1911 New Zealand general election :
| Electorate | Incumbent | Incumbent | Winner | Winner | Majority | Runner up | Runner up |
| General electorates ||||||||
| Ashburton | | William Nosworthy | William Nosworthy | William Nosworthy | 913† | | John Kennedy |
| Auckland Central | | Albert Glover | Albert Glover | Albert Glover | 2,261 | | Michael Joseph Savage |
| Auckland East | | Arthur Myers | Arthur Myers | Arthur Myers | 1,993 | | Arthur Withy |
| Auckland West | | Charles Poole | | James Bradney | 1,577 | | Charles Poole |
| Avon | | George Warren Russell | George Warren Russell | George Warren Russell | 271† | | James McCombs |
| Awarua | | Joseph Ward | Joseph Ward | Joseph Ward | 628 | | John Hamilton |
| Bay of Islands | | Vernon Reed | Vernon Reed | Vernon Reed | 183 | | George Wilkinson |
| Bay of Plenty | | William MacDonald | William MacDonald | William MacDonald | 535 | | Harry De Lautour |
| Bruce | | James Allen | James Allen | James Allen | 675 | | Parker McKinlay |
| Buller | | James Colvin | James Colvin | James Colvin | 150 | | Fergus Ferguson Munro |
| Chalmers | | Edward Henry Clark | Edward Henry Clark | Edward Henry Clark | 326† | | John Thomas Johnson |
| Christchurch East | | Thomas Davey | Thomas Davey | Thomas Davey | 1181† | | Henry Thacker |
| Christchurch North | | Leonard Isitt | Leonard Isitt | Leonard Isitt | 749† | | Dryden Hall |
| Christchurch South | | Harry Ell | Harry Ell | Harry Ell | 631 | | Gains Whiting |
| Clutha | | Alexander Malcolm | Alexander Malcolm | Alexander Malcolm | 375 | | George Livingstone |
| Dunedin Central | | James Arnold | | Charles Statham | 1544 | | James Arnold |
| Dunedin North | | George Thomson | George Thomson | George Thomson | 759† | | Robert Douglas |
| Dunedin South | | Thomas Sidey | Thomas Sidey | Thomas Sidey | 745 | | John McManus |
| Dunedin West | | John A. Millar | John A. Millar | John A. Millar | 639† | | Harry Bedford |
| Eden | | John Bollard | John Bollard | John Bollard | 663 | | William Speight |
| Egmont | | Bradshaw Dive | | Thomas Mackenzie | 327 | | Bradshaw Dive |
| Ellesmere | | Heaton Rhodes | Heaton Rhodes | Heaton Rhodes | 1581 | | George Armstrong |
| Franklin | | William Massey | William Massey | William Massey | 1963 | | John McLarin |
| Gisborne | | James Carroll | James Carroll | James Carroll | Uncontested | Uncontested | Uncontested |
| Grey | | Arthur Guinness | Arthur Guinness | Arthur Guinness | 1138 | | Paddy Webb |
| Grey Lynn | | George Fowlds | | John Payne | 38† | | George Fowlds |
| Hawke's Bay | | Alfred Dillon | | Hugh Campbell | 1107† | | Horace Simson |
| Hurunui | | George Forbes | George Forbes | George Forbes | 939 | | David Macfarlane |
| Hutt | | Thomas Wilford | Thomas Wilford | Thomas Wilford | 1931 | | Michael Reardon |
| Invercargill | | Josiah Hanan | Josiah Hanan | Josiah Hanan | 667† | | Thomas Fleming |
| Kaiapoi | | David Buddo | David Buddo | David Buddo | 209† | | Richard Moore |
| Kaipara | | John Stallworthy | | Gordon Coates | 572† | | John Stallworthy |
| Lyttelton | | George Laurenson | George Laurenson | George Laurenson | 2079 | | Colin Cook |
| Manukau | | Frederic Lang | Frederic Lang | Frederic Lang | 2307 | | Ralph Stewart |
| Marsden | | Francis Mander | Francis Mander | Francis Mander | 544 | | Edmund Purdie |
| Masterton | | Alexander Hogg | | George Sykes | 581† | | Alexander Hogg |
| Mataura | | George Anderson | George Anderson | George Anderson | 857 | | John MacGibbon |
| Motueka | | Roderick McKenzie | Roderick McKenzie | Roderick McKenzie | 1104 | | Frederick Smith |
| Napier | | Vigor Brown | Vigor Brown | Vigor Brown | 1064 | | Henry Hill |
| Nelson | | John Graham | | Harry Atmore | 1516† | | Walter Moffatt |
| Oamaru | | Thomas Young Duncan | | Ernest Lee | 1364 | | Thomas Young Duncan |
| Ohinemuri | | Hugh Poland | Hugh Poland | Hugh Poland | 1207† | | Pat Hickey |
| Oroua | | David Guthrie | David Guthrie | David Guthrie | 1092 | | Robert Hornblow |
| Otago Central | New electorate | New electorate | | Robert Scott | 1810 | | William Mason |
| Otaki | | William Hughes Field | | John Robertson | 21† | | William Hughes Field |
| Pahiatua | | Robert Ross | | James Escott | 573† | | Robert Ross |
| Palmerston | | David Buick | David Buick | David Buick | 832 | | Robert McNab |
| Parnell | | Frank Lawry | | James Samuel Dickson | 438† | | John Findlay |
| Patea | | George Pearce | George Pearce | George Pearce | 960 | | Patrick O'Dea |
| Raglan | New electorate | New electorate | | Richard Bollard | 919† | | Allen Bell |
| Rangitikei | | Robert William Smith | | Edward Newman | 1028 | | William Meldrum |
| Riccarton | | George Witty | George Witty | George Witty | 1373† | | Charles Ensor |
| Selwyn | | Charles Hardy | | William Dickie | 271 | | Charles Hardy |
| Stratford | | John Hine | John Hine | John Hine | 730 | | Joseph McCluggage |
| Taranaki | | Henry Okey | Henry Okey | Henry Okey | 754 | | Charles Bellringer |
| Taumarunui | | William Thomas Jennings | | Charles Wilson | 125 | | William Thomas Jennings |
| Tauranga | | William Herries | William Herries | William Herries | 1941 | | Robert King |
| Temuka | New electorate | New electorate | | Thomas Buxton | 1372 | | William Jeffries |
| Thames | | Edmund Taylor | | Thomas William Rhodes | 66 | | Edmund Taylor |
| Timaru | | James Craigie | James Craigie | James Craigie | 1226 | | Joseph Moore |
| Waikato | | Henry Greenslade | | Alexander Young | 1128 | | Henry Greenslade |
| Waimarino | New electorate | New electorate | | Robert William Smith | 480† | | Frank Hockly |
| Waipawa | | Charles Hall | | George Hunter | 569 | | Albert Jull |
| Wairarapa | | Walter Clarke Buchanan | Walter Clarke Buchanan | Walter Clarke Buchanan | 125 | | J. T. Marryat Hornsby |
| Wairau | | John Duncan | | Richard McCallum | 142† | | John Duncan |
| Waitaki | | William Steward | | Francis Henry Smith | 84† | | John Macpherson |
| Waitemata | | Leonard Phillips | | James Samuel Dickson | 407† | | William Joseph Napier |
| Wakatipu | | William Fraser | William Fraser | William Fraser | 91 | | James Horn |
| Wallace | | John Charles Thomson | John Charles Thomson | John Charles Thomson | 1962 | | Alan Carmichael |
| Wanganui | | James Thomas Hogan | | Bill Veitch | 1156† | | James Thomas Hogan |
| Wellington East | | David McLaren | | Alfred Newman | 65† | | David McLaren |
| Wellington Central | | Francis Fisher | Francis Fisher | Francis Fisher | 131† | | Robert Fletcher |
| Wellington North | | Alexander Herdman | Alexander Herdman | Alexander Herdman | 1807 | | Arnold Woolford Izard |
| Wellington South | | Robert Wright | | Alfred Hindmarsh | 254† | | Robert Wright |
| Wellington Suburbs and Country | | John Luke | | William Henry Dillon Bell | 399 | | Frank Moore |
| Westland | | Tom Seddon | Tom Seddon | Tom Seddon | 271 | | Henry Michel |
| Māori electorates ||||||||
| Eastern Maori | | Āpirana Ngata | Āpirana Ngata | Āpirana Ngata | Uncontested | Uncontested | Uncontested |
| Northern Maori | | Te Rangi Hīroa | Te Rangi Hīroa | Te Rangi Hīroa | 405 | | Riapo Timoti Puhipi |
| Southern Maori | | Tame Parata | | Taare Parata | 31 | | Hopere Uru |
| Western Maori | | Henare Kaihau | | Māui Pōmare | 565 | | Henare Kaihau |
Table footnotes:
* ↑ † in Majority column depicts electorates in which a second ballot was held.
* ↑ The affiliation of many of the Maori candidates is unknown or uncertain; note that the Second Ballot Act 1908 did not apply to Maori constituencies.

## Summary of changes

A boundary redistribution resulted in the abolition of four electorates:
* Geraldine, held by Thomas Buxton
* Manawatu, held by Edward Newman
* Taieri, held by Thomas Mackenzie
* Tuapeka, held by Robert Scott
* Wellington Suburbs, held by John Luke
At the same time, four new electorates came into being:
* Otago Central, first formed through the 1911 electoral redistribution
* Raglan, previously abolished in 1870
* Temuka, first formed through the 1911 electoral redistribution
* Waimarino, first formed through the 1911 electoral redistribution
* Wellington Suburbs and Country, first formed through the 1911 electoral redistribution