▁and ▁W ire mu ▁Par ata ▁( West ern ▁Ma ori ). ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁M ā ori ▁woman ▁MP ▁was ▁I ri aka ▁Rat ana ▁who ▁represented ▁the ▁enorm ous ▁Western ▁M ā ori ▁elect or ate . ▁Like ▁Elizabeth ▁Mc Com bs , ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁first ▁women ▁MP , ▁Rat ana ▁won ▁the ▁seat ▁in ▁a ▁hot ly ▁cont ested ▁by - e lection ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁her ▁husband ▁M ati u ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 . ▁ ▁E lections ▁ ▁Currently ▁M ā ori ▁elections ▁are ▁held ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ▁general ▁elections ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁such ▁elections ▁took ▁place ▁separately , ▁on ▁different ▁days ▁( us ually ▁the ▁day ▁before ▁the ▁vote ▁for ▁general ▁elect or ates ) ▁and ▁under ▁different ▁rules . ▁Histor ically , ▁less ▁organisation ▁went ▁into ▁holding ▁M ā ori ▁elections ▁than ▁general ▁elections , ▁and ▁the ▁process ▁received ▁fewer ▁resources . ▁M ā ori ▁elect or ates ▁at ▁first ▁did ▁not ▁require ▁registration ▁for ▁voting , ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁introduced . ▁New ▁practices ▁such ▁as ▁paper ▁ball ots ▁( as ▁opposed ▁to ▁casting ▁one ' s ▁vote ▁verb ally ) ▁and ▁secret ▁ball ots ▁also ▁came ▁later ▁to ▁elections ▁for ▁M ā ori ▁elect or ates ▁than ▁to ▁general ▁elect or ates . ▁ ▁The ▁authorities ▁frequently ▁delayed ▁or ▁over look ed ▁re forms ▁of ▁the ▁M ā ori ▁elect oral ▁system , ▁with ▁Parliament ▁considering ▁the ▁M ā ori ▁elect or ates ▁as ▁largely ▁un