2023 Niuean general election

2023 Niuean general election

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All 20 members of the Niue Assembly
Constituency winners by incumbency status Common Roll plurality vote winner by constituency.
Premier before election Dalton Tagelagi Independent Elected Premier Dalton Tagelagi Independent

General elections were held in Niue on 29 April 2023. ^[1] The elections were originally planned to be held early, in late February or early March. ^[2] Eight new MPs and six women were elected.

Following the elections the Assembly elected Dalton Tagelagi as Premier.

Electoral system

The 20 members of the Assembly are elected by two methods; 14 are elected from single-member consistencies using first-past-the-post voting and six are elected from a single nationwide constituency by multiple non-transferable vote. ^[3] There are currently no political parties. After the election, the Members of the Assembly elect a Speaker of the Assembly from outside parliament, and a Premier, who must be an MP. The Premier then chooses a Cabinet.

In 2023, the candidate nomination fee was increased from NZ$11 to NZ$200. ^[4]

Campaign

A total of 42 candidates contested the election, of which 17 contested the six common roll seats. ^[1]

Results

Three of the common-roll seats went to newcomers, with the initial results indicating that the final seat would be decided by a coin-toss. ^{[5] [6]} The final results on 3 May did not show a tie, with Sonya Talagi winning the last seat on the common roll by two votes. ^[7]

Six candidates, including Premier Dalton Tagelagi, were elected unopposed. ^[8] Six women were elected. ^[9] Three sitting MPs were unseated. ^[10]

In a secret ballot, the Assembly re-elected Dalton Tagelagi as Premier in a 16-4 vote against O'Love Jacobsen. ^[11] Tagelagi appointed his Cabinet on 12 May, the first gender-balanced Cabinet in Niuean history. ^{[12] [13]}

Common roll

Candidate	Votes	%	Notes
Crossley Tatui	409	48.81	Re-elected
Emani Fakaotimanava-Lui	394	47.02	Elected
Sinahemana Hekau	387	46.18	Elected
Billy Talagi	366	43.68	Re-elected
O'Love Jacobsen	364	43.44	Re-elected
Sonya Talagi	362	43.20	Elected
Birtha Lisimoni-Togahai	360	42.96
Terry Coe	333	39.74	Unseated
Fapoi Akesi	313	37.35
Tamuta Utalo	233	27.80
Togia Sioneholo	207	24.70
Victoria Posimani-Kalauni	191	22.79
Ettie Lotomaanu P Pasene-Mizziebo	188	22.43
Julie Sophai S M T Talagi-Funaki	183	21.84
Charlie J K Tohovaka	165	19.69
Mark Blumsky	158	18.85
Fisa Igilisi Pihigia	108	12.89
Total	4,721	100.00
Valid votes	838	95.34
Invalid/blank votes	41	4.66
Total votes	879	100.00
Registered voters/turnout	1,170	75.13
Source: Chief Electoral Officer

By constituency

Candidate	AS	TAMA	AVTL	Vaiea	HKP	Liku	LKP	MTL	Toi	HIKU	NAMU	Tuapa	MKF	AN
Crossley Tatui	90	40	30	9	84	26	16	31	10	12	2	17	17	25
Emani Fakaotimanava-Lui	125	21	26	16	29	24	20	14	10	11	1	24	16	57
Sinahemana Hekau	108	30	21	7	34	43	22	24	10	9	3	17	18	41
Billy Talagi	77	45	55	10	28	28	20	11	2	8	1	44	8	29
O'Love Jacobsen	98	44	25	20	27	24	19	17	10	8	0	24	14	34
Sonya Talagi	70	30	25	11	40	21	21	27	13	14	5	42	13	30
Birtha Lisimoni-Togahai	83	31	42	1	47	20	22	22	10	8	5	24	11	34
Terry Coe	86	27	30	22	16	19	24	12	12	14	4	21	14	32
Fapoi Akesi	40	24	23	12	85	22	32	10	5	5	5	19	9	22
Tamuta Utalo	54	17	14	3	15	26	26	20	13	9	1	9	14	12
Togia Sioneholo	47	13	15	0	25	5	12	17	8	8	4	19	12	22
Victoria Posimani-Kalauni	31	17	11	2	10	8	9	25	6	8	3	44	9	8
Julie Sophai S M T Talagi-Funaki	63	15	17	2	17	8	13	8	2	5	0	5	13	20
Ettie Lotomaanu P Pasene-Mizziebo	71	11	9	3	18	11	9	4	3	7	1	6	7	23
Charlie J K Tohovaka	29	11	18	1	12	14	10	16	5	3	0	15	17	14
Mark Blumsky	33	15	9	17	9	12	13	9	7	2	0	8	3	21
Fisa Igilisi Pihigia	16	8	7	1	7	11	5	7	0	1	1	38	2	3
Invalid	3	4	1	2	2	2	0	2	2	3	0	2	3	2
Spoilt	3	0	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	2	2
Total votes	209	79	69	26	93	59	52	49	24	25	6	68	38	82
Registered	276	93	88	40	128	78	76	81	31	35	6	88	50	100
Source: Chief Electoral Officer

Constituencies

Results for constituencies ^{[5] [8]}

Constituency	Candidate	Votes	%	Results
Alofi North	Tutuli Heka	35	44.87	Elected
	Alan Puleoti	26	33.33
	Stanley Frederick Tafatu	17	21.79
	Blank or invalid votes	2	2.56
	Total	78
Alofi South	Dalton Tagelagi			Re-elected unopposed
Avatele	Pita Vakanofiti	28	40.58	Re-elected
	Hetututama Hetutu	26	37.68
	Ketiligi Saniteli Fereti	13	18.84
	Blank or invalid votes	2	2.90
	Total	69
Hakupu	Richie Mautama			Re-elected unopposed
Hikutavake	Ian Hipa	9	37.50	Elected
	Masiniholo Lagaloga	5	20.83
	Opili Talafasi	8	33.33	Unseated
	Blank or invalid votes	2	8.33
	Total	24
Lakepa	Rhonda Tiakia Tomailuga	35	67.31	Elected
	Shield Palahetogia	16	30.77
	Blank or invalid votes	1	1.92
	Total	52
Liku	Logopati Seumanu	31	54.39	Elected
	Sionetasi Pulehetoa	26	45.61
	Blank or invalid votes	0	0.00
	Total	57
Makefu	Tofua Puletama	22	61.11	Re-elected
	Tioneatali Kemusiaki Lolani	14	38.89
	Blank or invalid votes	0	0.00
	Total	36
Mutalau	Maureen Melekitama	29	59.18	Elected
	Makaseau Ioane	18	36.73	Unseated
	Blank or invalid votes	2	4.08
	Total	49
Namukulu	Sione Sionetuato			Elected unopposed
Tamakautoga	Ricky Makani	46	60.52	Re-elected
	Peter Funaki	25	32.89
	Blank or invalid votes	5	6.58
	Total	76
Toi	Dion Taufitu			Re-elected unopposed
Tuapa	Mona Ainuu			Re-elected unopposed
Vaiea	Talaititama Talaiti			Re-elected unopposed

See also

• 18th Niue Assembly

References

1. "Candidate list for Niue General Election released". RNZ. 14 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
2. "Niue Premier indicates an early general election in 2023". Island Business. 29 November 2022. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
3. "Niue". IFES Election Guide.
4. Esther Pavihi (March 2023). "New changes in the lead-up to the 2023 general elections including $200 candidates nomination fee". TV Niue. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
5. Esther Pavihi (30 April 2023). "Several new members will be sworn in to the 18th Niue Legislative Assembly after the general election yesterday". TV Niue. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
6. Matt Manukuo (1 May 2023). "Final seat in Niuean elections to be decided by hat-draw". Pacific Media Network. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
7. Esther Pavihi (3 May 2023). "Sonya Talagi duly elected 6th Common Roll Member, while Lisimoni-Togahai has filed petition for a recount". TV Niue. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
8. Esther Pavihi (14 April 2023). "List of candidates for the 2023 General Elections released; Tagelagi duly elected with 5 others". TV Niue. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
9. "Six women MPs voted into Niue's parliament". RNZ. 2 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
10. Esther Pavihi (1 May 2023). "Two long serving MPs Terry Coe and Opili Talafasi will not be returning to the next Niue Legislative Assembly". TV Niue. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
11. "Dalton Tagelagi re-elected premier of Niue". RNZ. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
12. "Dalton Tagelagi forms Niue's first gender-balanced Cabinet". RNZ. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
13. Esther Pavihi (12 May 2023). "Premier Tagelagi announce first gender- balanced Cabinet". TV Niue. Retrieved 15 May 2023.