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The little orange election man is back - Source: ONE News -
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The Electoral Commission has begun a campaign to educate the nation ahead of the referendum on MMP.
Voters will be asked in November's general election which electoral system they want to use in the future.
The past five elections have been held under the MMP system after New Zealanders voted for the change from First Past the Post (FPP) back in 1993.
This year's referendum will consist of two parts - the public will be asked whether or not they want to ditch the current MMP system, and if so which system they would prefer.
The Electoral Commission campaign aims to inform the public on the four alternative systems on offer.
The options for a different system are: preferential voting (used in Australia), supplementary member and first past the post - all of which often lead to one party governing alone. The single transferrable vote system, like MMP, gives smaller parties more of a chance to get in and be part of coalition governments.
If there is no mood for change ways, to improve MMP will be looked at.
"If there is a vote to change then parliament will decide if there will be a referendum in 2014 between MMP and the most preferred alternative," a spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said.
The winner would likely be used in the 2017 election.
Political commentator Therese Arsenau said people need to step back and think about what kind of government they want and then "go back and look at the sort of voting system that helps you achieve those outcomes."
Professor Nigel Roberts from Victoria University said the important thing is that people should get the concept.
Roberts told TVNZ News at 8 that it is electoral laws rather than the systems which provide the "myriad small details" which tend to confuse people such as the 5% threshold, one seat threshold and overhang seats.
It is that type of detail that the Electoral Commission must review if MMP is retained, Roberts said.
"There is no such thing as a perfect voting system."
He said people have to decide for themselves and the "concepts behind the systems aren't difficult".
Roberts is confident the public can be educated about the options before the election.
The referendum process will cost taxpayers $5 million.
