What is First Past the Post?

First Past the Post (FPP)
Under the FPP voting system New Zealand is divided into 120 electorates, each representing a seat in parliament. You get one vote to choose a person to represent your electorate and whoever gets the most votes will become your local MP.

Under FPP the larger parties will usually gain a larger share of the seats in parliament than their share of the total votes. Smaller parties and independent candidates may win no seats unless they have strong support in particular electorates. This makes it harder for smaller parties to win seats and easier for one large party to govern on its own without coalitions or support agreements.

Source: Electoral Commission