2022 Cook Islands general election

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1 August 2022

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All 24 seats in Parliament
13 seats needed for a majority

	Leader	Vote %	Seats	+/–
Cook Islands	Mark Brown	44.07	12	+2
Democratic	Tina Browne	26.93	5	−6
Cook Islands United	Teariki Heather	18.81	3	New
One Cook Islands	George Turia	2.68	1	0
Independents	–	7.31	3	+1

This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

Results of the election by constituency.

Prime Minister before		Prime Minister after election
	Mark Brown Cook Islands	Mark Brown Cook Islands

Politics of the Cook Islands


Monarch King Charles III King's Representative Sir Tom Marsters Government of the Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown Cabinet Parliament Speaker: Tai Tura House of Ariki President: Tou Travel Ariki Political parties Recent elections General: 2010 2014 2018 2022 Foreign relations
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v t e

The 2022 Cook Islands general election was held on 1 August 2022 to determine the composition of the 18th Parliament of the Cook Islands.^[1]^[2] A referendum on legalising medical cannabis was held on the same day.^[3]

In the 2018 general election, the Democratic Party won a plurality with 11 seats but fell short of the 13 required to form a government. The incumbent Cook Islands Party (CIP), led by then-prime minister Henry Puna won 10 seats; the One Cook Islands Movement (OCI) secured a single seat, and independents won the remaining two.^[4] The CIP remained in government due to the support of the OCI and independents.^[5]

In October 2020, Puna resigned as prime minister to run for secretary-general of the Pacific Islands Forum. Deputy prime minister Mark Brown succeeded Puna as prime minister and leader of the Cook Islands Party. Brown appointed Robert Tapaitau deputy prime minister.^[6]

Electoral system

The 24 members of the Parliament of the Cook Islands were elected from single-member electorates by first-past-the-post voting.^[7]

Campaign

The Progressive Party of the Cook Islands was launched in October 2019 to contest the election.^[8]

The One Cook Islands Movement (OCI) announced its candidates in November 2021.^[9] However, they caused controversy by claiming Toanui Isamaela and Teina Bishop would stand as joint OCI–Democratic Party candidates; this was denied by the Democratic Party, which stated it would be announcing its own candidates and there was no alliance with the OCI.^[10]

In December 2021 the new Cook Islands United Party, founded by former Deputy Prime Minister Teariki Heather in 2018, announced eleven candidates for the elections.^[11]

Opinion polls

Preferred prime minister

Pollster	Date	Sample size	Brown	Browne	Heather	Others	Undecided
Pollster	Date	Sample size				Others	Undecided
Cook Islands News^[12]	July 2022	120	44.2%	10.8%	16.7%	14.2%	8.3%

Constituency	Candidate		Votes	%
Akaoa	Robert Stanley Heather	Cook Islands United	195	49.24
	Nooroa Baker	Democratic	144	36.36
	Doreen Tuainekore Boggs	Cook Islands	57	14.39

Amuri–Ureia	Toanui Isamaela	One Cook Islands	126	35.90
	Terepai Maoate	Democratic	123	35.04
	Nicholas Royle Henry	Cook Islands	102	29.06

Arutanga–Reureu–Nikaupara	Tereapii Maki-Kavana	Cook Islands	206	57.38
	Teinakore Bishop	One Cook Islands	111	30.92
	Atina Currie	Democratic	42	11.70

Avatiu–Ruatonga–Palmerston	Albert Nicholas	Cook Islands	358	60.68
	Teina Rongo	Democratic	195	33.05
	Makiroa Tutai-Louis Mitchell	Cook Islands United	37	6.27

Ivirua	Agnes Armstrong	Democratic	57	72.15
	Marouna Pakuru	Cook Islands	12	15.19
	Ngametua Angai Peraua	Cook Islands United	10	12.66

Manihiki	Akaiti Puna	Cook Islands	89	72.95
	Mokoha Johnson	Democratic	24	19.67
	Apolo Miria	Cook Islands United	9	7.38

Matavera	Vaitoti Tupa	Democratic	261	43.57
	Taneao Ngamata	Independent	183	30.55
	Harriet Tangi Williams	Cook Islands	93	15.53
	Saula Atera	Cook Islands United	62	10.35

Mauke	Stephen Matapo	Independent	92	50.83
	Eileen Story	Cook Islands	62	34.25
	Tungane Williams	Independent	16	8.84
	Lotiola Mateariki	Cook Islands United	11	6.08

Mitiaro	Tuakeu Tangatapoto	Cook Islands	62	69.66
	Paul Raui Pokoati Allsworth	Cook Islands United	26	29.21
	Louise Akerongo Utanga	Democratic	1	1.12

Murienua	Teariki Heather	Cook Islands United	265	55.09
	Patrick Akaiti Arioka	Cook Islands	169	35.14
	Piltz Tetevano Napa	Democratic	47	9.77

Ngatangiia	Tukaka Ama	Cook Islands	202	36.86
	Mapi Ioteva	Cook Islands United	191	34.85
	Tamaiva Tuavera	Democratic	155	28.28

Nikao–Panama	Vaine Mokoroa	Cook Islands	543	70.43
	Ngamau Mere Munokoa	Democratic	210	27.24
	Te Tuhi Tauratumaru Kelly	Progressive	18	2.33

Oneroa	Wesley Kareroa	Democratic	84	42.21
	Poroaiti Arokapiti	Cook Islands	69	34.67
	Travel Tangimokopuna Moeara	Cook Islands United	46	23.12

Penrhyn	Robert Tapaitau	Cook Islands	91	75.21
	Tex Teakaau Tangimetua	Independent	23	19.01
	Jimmy Temu Marsters	Cook Islands United	7	5.79

Pukapuka–Nassau	Tingika Elikana	Cook Islands	199	69.58
Pukapuka–Nassau	Willie Pareura Katoa	Democratic	87	30.42

Rakahanga	Tina Browne	Democratic	44	58.67
Rakahanga	Toka Hagai	Cook Islands	31	41.33

Ruaau	Tim Tunui Varu	Cook Islands United	291	41.04
	Arama Wichman	Cook Islands	267	37.66
	William Heather	Democratic	151	21.30

Takuvaine–Tutakimoa	Mark Brown	Cook Islands	277	61.01
	Da\/Ina Hosking-Ashford	Democratic	124	27.31
	Teokotai-O-George George	Cook Islands United	53	11.67

Tamarua	Tetangi Matapo	Democratic	30	57.69
Tamarua	Lana Aitau	Cook Islands	22	42.31

Teenui–Mapumai	Rose Toki-Brown	Independent	87	73.73
Teenui–Mapumai	Nooroa Paratainga	Cook Islands United	31	26.27

Tengatangi–Areora–Ngatiarua	Te-Hani Brown	Independent	104	82.54
Tengatangi–Areora–Ngatiarua	Vainetutai Boaza	Cook Islands United	22	17.46

Titikaveka	Sonny Williams	Cook Islands	231	31.22
	Margharet Matenga	Cook Islands United	228	30.81
	Selina Napa	Democratic	212	28.65
	Teava Iro	Independent	69	9.32

Tupapa–Maraerenga	George Angene	Cook Islands	570	56.60
	Lee Harmon	Democratic	261	25.92
	Kervin Tetutamaiti Aroita	Cook Islands United	176	17.48

Vaipae–Tautu	Teokotai Herman	Cook Islands	178	47.59
	Teinakore Manuela	Democratic	125	33.42
	Teariki George	Independent	71	18.98

v t e Elections and referendums in the Cook Islands
General elections	1947 1950 1953 1956 1958 1961 1965 1968 1972 1974 1978 1983 (Mar) 1983 (Nov) 1989 1994 1999 2004 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Referendums	1994 1999 2004 2010 2022

2022 Cook Islands general election

Electoral system

Campaign

Opinion polls

Preferred prime minister

Results

By electorate

Aftermath

References

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