Office Established Henry Sewell Independent The 1855 New Zealand general election was a nationwide vote to determine the shape of the New Zealand Parliament's 2nd term.

The 1st Parliament did not have the ability to appoint the executive branch (Cabinet) of the New Zealand government, however, and a major dispute arose between Parliament and the Governor.

Governments were formed based on loose coalitions, with prospective Prime Ministers needing to seek support from enough individual MPs to command a majority.

In the 1855 elections, voting occurred on a different day for each individual seat.

An estimated 9,891 people were eligible to vote, although records are poor for some areas.