# 2022 Cook Islands general election

General elections were held in the Cook Islands on 1 August 2022. A referendum on legalising medical cannabis was held on the same day.

## Background

In the 2018 general election, the Democratic Party won a plurality with 11 seats but fell short of the 13 required to form a government. The incumbent Cook Islands Party (CIP), led by then-prime minister Henry Puna won 10 seats; the One Cook Islands Movement (OCI) secured a single seat, and independents won the remaining two. The CIP remained in government due to the support of the OCI and independents.
In October 2020, Puna resigned as prime minister to run for secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. Deputy prime minister Mark Brown succeeded Puna as prime minister and leader of the Cook Islands Party. Brown appointed Robert Tapaitau deputy prime minister.

## Electoral system

The 24 members of the Parliament of the Cook Islands were elected from single-member electorates by first-past-the-post voting.

## Campaign

The Progressive Party of the Cook Islands was launched in October 2019 to contest the election.
The One Cook Islands Movement (OCI) announced its candidates in November 2021. However, they caused controversy by claiming Toanui Isamaela and Teina Bishop would stand as joint OCI–Democratic Party candidates; this was denied by the Democratic Party, which stated it would be announcing its own candidates and there was no alliance with the OCI.
In December 2021 the new Cook Islands United Party, founded by former Deputy Prime Minister Teariki Heather in 2018, announced eleven candidates for the elections.

## Opinion polls
### Preferred prime minister

| Pollster | Date | Sample size | Brown | Browne | Heather | Others | Undecided |
| Cook Islands News | July 2022 | 120 | 44.2% | 10.8% | 16.7% | 14.2% | 8.3% |

## Results

Initial projections showed the Cook Islands Party with 10 seats, the Democrats with 6, the new Cook Islands United Party with 4, and independents with 3. The seat of Ngatangiia was tied, with the CIP and United candidates on 171 votes each. The final vote count showed the CIP with 12 seats, after it won Ngatangiia and Titikaveka, where the United Party candidate originally had had a six vote lead. The Democrats won five seats, United three, the One Cook Islands Movement one and independents three.
| | Cook Islands Party | 3,890 | 44.07 | +1.77 | 12 | +2 |
| | Democratic Party | 2,377 | 26.93 | -14.98 | 5 | –6 |
| | Cook Islands United Party | 1,660 | 18.81 | New | 3 | New |
| | One Cook Islands Movement | 237 | 2.68 | -8.13 | 1 | 0 |
| | Progressive Party of the Cook Islands | 18 | 0.20 | New | 0 | New |
| | Independents | 645 | 7.31 | +3.54 | 3 | +1 |
| Total | Total | 8,827 | 100.00 | – | 24 | 0 |
| Source: Parliament of the Cook Islands |||||||

### By electorate

| Constituency | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| Akaoa | Robert Stanley Heather | Cook Islands United | 195 | 49.24 |
| Akaoa | Nooroa Baker | Democratic | 144 | 36.36 |
| Akaoa | Doreen Tuainekore Boggs | Cook Islands | 57 | 14.39 |
| Amuri–Ureia | Toanui Isamaela | One Cook Islands | 126 | 35.90 |
| Amuri–Ureia | Terepai Maoate | Democratic | 123 | 35.04 |
| Amuri–Ureia | Nicholas Royle Henry | Cook Islands | 102 | 29.06 |
| Arutanga–Reureu–Nikaupara | Tereapii Maki-Kavana | Cook Islands | 206 | 57.38 |
| Arutanga–Reureu–Nikaupara | Teinakore Bishop | One Cook Islands | 111 | 30.92 |
| Arutanga–Reureu–Nikaupara | Atina Currie | Democratic | 42 | 11.70 |
| Avatiu–Ruatonga–Palmerston | Albert Nicholas | Cook Islands | 358 | 60.68 |
| Avatiu–Ruatonga–Palmerston | Teina Rongo | Democratic | 195 | 33.05 |
| Avatiu–Ruatonga–Palmerston | Makiroa Tutai-Louis Mitchell | Cook Islands United | 37 | 6.27 |
| Ivirua | Agnes Armstrong | Democratic | 57 | 72.15 |
| Ivirua | Marouna Pakuru | Cook Islands | 12 | 15.19 |
| Ivirua | Ngametua Angai Peraua | Cook Islands United | 10 | 12.66 |
| Manihiki | Akaiti Puna | Cook Islands | 89 | 72.95 |
| Manihiki | Mokoha Johnson | Democratic | 24 | 19.67 |
| Manihiki | Apolo Miria | Cook Islands United | 9 | 7.38 |
| Matavera | Vaitoti Tupa | Democratic | 261 | 43.57 |
| Matavera | Taneao Ngamata | Independent | 183 | 30.55 |
| Matavera | Harriet Tangi Williams | Cook Islands | 93 | 15.53 |
| Matavera | Saula Atera | Cook Islands United | 62 | 10.35 |
| Mauke | Stephen Matapo | Independent | 92 | 50.83 |
| Mauke | Eileen Story | Cook Islands | 62 | 34.25 |
| Mauke | Tungane Williams | Independent | 16 | 8.84 |
| Mauke | Lotiola Mateariki | Cook Islands United | 11 | 6.08 |
| Mitiaro | Tuakeu Tangatapoto | Cook Islands | 62 | 69.66 |
| Mitiaro | Paul Raui Pokoati Allsworth | Cook Islands United | 26 | 29.21 |
| Mitiaro | Louise Akerongo Utanga | Democratic | 1 | 1.12 |
| Murienua | Teariki Heather | Cook Islands United | 265 | 55.09 |
| Murienua | Patrick Akaiti Arioka | Cook Islands | 169 | 35.14 |
| Murienua | Piltz Tetevano Napa | Democratic | 47 | 9.77 |
| Ngatangiia | Tukaka Ama | Cook Islands | 202 | 36.86 |
| Ngatangiia | Mapi Ioteva | Cook Islands United | 191 | 34.85 |
| Ngatangiia | Tamaiva Tuavera | Democratic | 155 | 28.28 |
| Nikao–Panama | Vaine Mokoroa | Cook Islands | 543 | 70.43 |
| Nikao–Panama | Ngamau Mere Munokoa | Democratic | 210 | 27.24 |
| Nikao–Panama | Te Tuhi Tauratumaru Kelly | Progressive | 18 | 2.33 |
| Oneroa | Wesley Kareroa | Democratic | 84 | 42.21 |
| Oneroa | Poroaiti Arokapiti | Cook Islands | 69 | 34.67 |
| Oneroa | Travel Tangimokopuna Moeara | Cook Islands United | 46 | 23.12 |
| Penrhyn | Robert Tapaitau | Cook Islands | 91 | 75.21 |
| Penrhyn | Tex Teakaau Tangimetua | Independent | 23 | 19.01 |
| Penrhyn | Jimmy Temu Marsters | Cook Islands United | 7 | 5.79 |
| Pukapuka–Nassau | Tingika Elikana | Cook Islands | 199 | 69.58 |
| Pukapuka–Nassau | Willie Pareura Katoa | Democratic | 87 | 30.42 |
| Rakahanga | Tina Browne | Democratic | 44 | 58.67 |
| Rakahanga | Toka Hagai | Cook Islands | 31 | 41.33 |
| Ruaau | Tim Tunui Varu | Cook Islands United | 291 | 41.04 |
| Ruaau | Arama Wichman | Cook Islands | 267 | 37.66 |
| Ruaau | William Heather | Democratic | 151 | 21.30 |
| Takuvaine–Tutakimoa | Mark Brown | Cook Islands | 277 | 61.01 |
| Takuvaine–Tutakimoa | Da\/Ina Hosking-Ashford | Democratic | 124 | 27.31 |
| Takuvaine–Tutakimoa | Teokotai-O-George George | Cook Islands United | 53 | 11.67 |
| Tamarua | Tetangi Matapo | Democratic | 30 | 57.69 |
| Tamarua | Lana Aitau | Cook Islands | 22 | 42.31 |
| Teenui–Mapumai | Rose Toki-Brown | Independent | 87 | 73.73 |
| Teenui–Mapumai | Nooroa Paratainga | Cook Islands United | 31 | 26.27 |
| Tengatangi–Areora–Ngatiarua | Te-Hani Brown | Independent | 104 | 82.54 |
| Tengatangi–Areora–Ngatiarua | Vainetutai Boaza | Cook Islands United | 22 | 17.46 |
| Titikaveka | Sonny Williams | Cook Islands | 231 | 31.22 |
| Titikaveka | Margharet Matenga | Cook Islands United | 228 | 30.81 |
| Titikaveka | Selina Napa | Democratic | 212 | 28.65 |
| Titikaveka | Teava Iro | Independent | 69 | 9.32 |
| Tupapa–Maraerenga | George Angene | Cook Islands | 570 | 56.60 |
| Tupapa–Maraerenga | Lee Harmon | Democratic | 261 | 25.92 |
| Tupapa–Maraerenga | Kervin Tetutamaiti Aroita | Cook Islands United | 176 | 17.48 |
| Vaipae–Tautu | Teokotai Herman | Cook Islands | 178 | 47.59 |
| Vaipae–Tautu | Teinakore Manuela | Democratic | 125 | 33.42 |
| Vaipae–Tautu | Teariki George | Independent | 71 | 18.98 |

## Aftermath

The CIP began coalition talks on 4 August, and announced that it planned to continue its arrangements with two independents. The United Party ruled out working with the CIP. On 5 August the CIP announced they had secured the support of independents Te-Hani Brown and Rose Toki-Brown for a governing coalition. On 12 August Mark Brown was reappointed Prime Minister. On 25 August 2022 independent MP Stephen Matapo joined the Cook Islands Party, giving the government a total of 15 seats.
Following the election, electoral petitions were filed challenging the results in Mitiaro, Tengatangi–Areora–Ngatiarua, Teenui–Mapumai, Titikaveka and Amuri–Ureia, as well as an application for a recount in Tupapa–Maraerenga. Due to the time taken to resolve the petitions, the Cook Islands Parliament did not sit for the rest of the year, and will not sit until at least March 2023.
The final electoral petition was not resolved until 11 March 2023, when the High Court confirmed that Sonny Williams had won the seat of Titikaveka. Parliament sat for the first time and new MPs were sworn in on 21 March 2023.