Good question. Voting is an important way of having your say in a democracy. At least every three years there's a general election, when voters get to choose who they want to represent them in Parliament. The Members of Parliament are there to listen to the people. They represent their views in Parliament in Wellington - the House of Representatives.

Parliament is where all our elected representatives meet to debate the big issues and make new laws. MPs meet with other MPs and officials and most importantly, they listen to find out what policies the public want to make a strong economy and happy and healthy society.

We have elections so everyone over 18 who enrols as a voter gets a chance to have a say about how we run our country, how much tax we pay and what the government does with our money to pay for such things as health care, education, income support, the armed forces, roads and transport, and caring for our environment. That's part of what democracy is all about.

Democracy wins every time

• Democracy is the system we use to run our country.

• It comes from the Greek words 'demos', meaning people and 'kratos' meaning rule.

• Voters are able to say who they want as their representatives in Parliament and how they'd like the country run. Everyone who enrols gets a chance to vote.

• Democracy isn't the only way you can run a country. Some countries have autocratic systems, which means that one person - like a king or a military leader - is the ruler.

Timeline

Back in the 19th century, only rich men could vote in New Zealand. Some people got more than one vote. It wasn't fair.

We had our first elections in 1853 - back then there were 37 members of the House of Representatives - but it took until 1879 before all men over 21 were given the vote.

Elections were held every 5 years until 1879, when the 3-year term was introduced.

Women and the vote

Women over 21 won the right to vote in parliamentary elections for the first time in 1893, but they weren't given the right to stand for Parliament until 1919 - only three women stood in the general elections that year. Australia gave women the right to vote in 1902. Elizabeth McCombs was elected New Zealand's first woman Member of Parliament in 1933 representing the people of Lyttelton.

In 2002, New Zealand has a female Prime Minister. Helen Clark became Labour Party leader in 1993 and became the Prime Minister after the 1999 general election. She's New Zealand's second female leader: Jenny Shipley replaced Jim Bolger as National Party leader and Prime Minister in 1997. Of the 120 Members of Parliament elected in 2002, 34 were women.

The Treaty of Waitangi is like the founding document of New Zealand. It gave Maori all the rights and privileges of British subjects. In return Maori chiefs gave the British Queen the right to buy land and govern New Zealand. In 1867 Maori New Zealanders won their own separate Maori seats in Parliament..... but only the blokes could vote!

And in 1996 Pansy Wong became the first Asian New Zealander elected to Parliament.

Today every New Zealand citizen or permanent resident over the age of 18 can enrol to vote...as long as they have not been given a prison sentence of three or more years or been detained in a mental hospital under the Criminal Justice Act.

Voters sign-on

In New Zealand, elections are held by secret ballot at least every three years.

When you are 17, you can fill in an application to register as a voter, so you'll automatically be enrolled when you turn 18. To register, fill in a form at any Post Shop or ring 0800 Enrol Now (0800 367 656).

• When you register to vote, your name and address and occupation usually go on the electoral roll for your electorate.

• You can look at the electoral roll at your local Registrar of Electors' office and at Post Shops.

• Information on the roll is also used for local authority elections and to make up jury lists.

• If you are of Maori descent, when you first enrol you can choose to go on either the General or the Maori electoral roll. You'll then be able to choose again when the next Maori electoral option is held after the 5-yearly census. By going on the Maori roll you'll be voting for a Maori electorate MP instead of a General electorate MP. Your choice of roll does not affect your party vote because all New Zealanders choose between the same parties, whether they are on the Maori or the General roll.

• There are seven Maori electorates - Ikaroa-Rawhiti, Tainui, Tamaki Makaurau, Te Tai Hauauru, Te Tai Tokerau, Te Tai Tonga and Waiariki

Activity

Make a list of some of the people you know who are 18 or older.

• Find out if they are on the electoral roll.
• Will they be eligible to vote in the next election?
• What issues are they concerned about?
• What kind of government do they hope will be elected?