1974 Niuean constitutional referendum

1974 Niuean constitutional referendum

3 September 1974
Do you vote for self-government for Niue in free association with New Zealand on the basis of the Constitution and the Niue Constitution Act 1974 ?
Results
Choice Votes  % Yes 887 65.41% No 469 34.59% Valid votes 1,356 97.98% Invalid or blank votes 28 2.02% Total votes 1,384 100.00%

A constitutional referendum was held in Niue on 3 September 1974. ^[1] The constitution was approved by 65% of voters, and came into force on 19 October. ^[1]

Background

The proposed constitution was drafted by Robert Quentin Quentin-Baxter, a Professor of Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence at Victoria University of Wellington, in consultation with the Niue Assembly. ^[2] The new constitution would make Niue an autonomous region under the sovereignty of New Zealand; islanders would gain New Zealand citizenship and be able to settle freely in New Zealand. ^[1] It provided for a 21-member Assembly, consisting of a Speaker and 20 elected members (14 elected from single-member constituencies based on the villages and six from a single island-wide constituency). The Assembly would elected a Premier, who would choose three other members of a four-person Executive Council. ^[2]

The referendum was approved by the Niue Assembly on 16 July 1974, ^[1] and the proposed constitution was approved in the New Zealand Parliament through the Niue Amendment Bill and the Niue Constitution Act. ^[2]

Results

Do you vote for self-government for Niue in free association with New Zealand on the basis of the Constitution and the Niue Constitution Act 1974? ^[1]

Choice		Votes	%
For		887	65.41
Against		469	34.59
Total		1,356	100.00
Valid votes		1,356	97.98
Invalid/blank votes		28	2.02
Total votes		1,384	100.00
Source: Direct Democracy

References

1. Niue, 3 September 1974: Constitution Direct Democracy (in German)
2. Niue moves to self-government Pacific Islands Monthly, August 1974, p2