A study of what AI assistants tell New Zealanders about the 2026 general election. We put 174 questions, written as 32 New Zealand voters, to ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews, and analysed the responses: which parties each one named, what it said about them, and which sources it relied on.
32of 32
We asked for a recommendation on who to vote for 32 times. None of the answers recommended a specific party, and ChatGPT said in all of its answers that it would not choose. Instead, the answers gave several parties for the voter to look at. The typical answer named five parties, and no answer narrowed the choice to one or two.
See all 32 answers6 · 5 · 4 · 3
For the same renter on variable hours, Gemini covered six parties in some depth, ChatGPT five, AI Overviews four and AI Mode three.
Open the renter’s page72of 124
We asked the same questions nationally and from nine places around New Zealand, then compared the answers. A housing question asked from Queenstown came back with five named parties, while the national answer talked about housing policy in general.
Compare the nine places42of 99
Policy.nz is linked to 42 of 99 housing answers, and Kiwi Coaches to 27 of 96 on infrastructure. Each publisher makes its own choices about which parties to cover.
See the housing sources5of 200
ChatGPT linked to its sources in 198 of 200 answers. AI Mode did in 55, AI Overviews in 40 and Gemini in five. Without a link, a voter can’t check an answer against its source, and six of the 17 statements we checked were wrong or out of date.
See links by assistant6of 17
We checked 17 statements from the answers against official sources. Six were wrong or out of date, including the deadline for overseas voters to return a paper vote, the current FamilyBoost childcare rebate, and whether a new hospital had opened.
See all 17 checksHow we asked the questions, counted the answers and checked the statements.
There are six parties in Parliament. Of the 739 answers that mentioned any of them, 497 left at least one out. Te Pāti Māori was missing most often, from 422 answers, followed by NZ First, from 217.
Each party is counted once in every answer that names it. Opportunity is not in Parliament.
Each square is one answer. Raised squares named all six parties in Parliament; flat squares left at least one out.
Each row is an issue we asked about. Each column is a party. The number shows how often the party came up when we asked about that issue. The coloured line under it shows whether what the AI said about the party was positive, neutral or negative.
Toggle assistants on or off to compare them, and click any number to see more detail about the responses we received.
Showing all four assistants · 815 answers
| Topic |  National |  Labour |  Greens |  ACT |  NZ First |  Te Pāti Māori |  Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||||||
| Infrastructure and local services | |||||||
| Healthcare | |||||||
| Cost of living | |||||||
| Jobs and unemployment | |||||||
| Education and childcare | |||||||
| Tax and public spending | |||||||
| Democratic institutions and rights | |||||||
| Fuel and energy | |||||||
| Economy | |||||||
| Poverty and welfare | |||||||
| Climate and disaster resilience | |||||||
| Retirement and aged care | |||||||
| Rural and agricultural policy | |||||||
| Environment | |||||||
| Immigration | |||||||
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | |||||||
| Foreign affairs and defence | |||||||
| Mental health and addiction | |||||||
| Crime and justice |
Eight of the questions asked for a recommendation, a shortlist or a verdict on the best plan, and each went to all four assistants. No answer picked one party for the voter. Many still steered, by matching parties to the voter’s priorities or naming the parties to look at first. Select a square to read that answer.
| What the answer did | ChatGPT | Gemini | Google AI Mode | AI Overviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Told the voter who to vote forNamed one party for the voter to vote for. | 0of 8 | 0of 8 | 0of 8 | 0of 8 |
| Said it would not chooseStated that it would not pick a party for the voter. | 8of 8 | 1of 8 | 3of 8 | 2of 8 |
| Matched parties to the voter’s prioritiesSaid which parties or blocs fit what the voter cares about. | 1of 8 | 5of 8 | 4of 8 | 1of 8 |
| Named parties to look at firstGave a shortlist of parties to compare. | 1of 8 | 0of 8 | 0of 8 | 1of 8 |
| Asked what matters to the voterAsked about the voter’s priorities before going further. | 5of 8 | 6of 8 | 1of 8 | 5of 8 |
Each square is one of the eight questions, in this order in every cell: Variable-hours renter · Sole parent · Recently redundant · Café owner · Renting retiree · Farming household · Māori whānau · Undecided voter. One answer can do several of these things at once. Every answer was read in full and coded by hand.
Every question was asked as one of 32 New Zealanders: nine people in named places, and 23 households anywhere in the country. Each has its own page.
We looked at the websites each assistant drew on when it answered. Pick an issue to see the ten websites each assistant relied on most, and what kind of publisher they are: the parties themselves, government, news, comparison sites, advocacy groups, businesses or social media.
ChatGPT
48%party websites
Had sources203of 205
Showed you a link203of 205
national.org.nz, party websites, cited in 148 answers
labour.org.nz, party websites, cited in 140 answers
greens.org.nz, party websites, cited in 135 answers
act.org.nz, party websites, cited in 126 answers
nzfirst.nz, party websites, cited in 121 answers
policy.nz, comparison sites, cited in 72 answers
reuters.com, news, cited in 65 answers
beehive.govt.nz, government, cited in 41 answers
elections.nz, government, cited in 25 answers
maoriparty.org.nz, party websites, cited in 25 answersGemini
23%advocacy groups
Had sources193of 205
Showed you a link5of 205
nzvotecheck.com, comparison sites, cited in 31 answers
kiwicoaches.co.nz, businesses, cited in 24 answersnational.org.nz, party websites, cited in 23 answerspolicy.nz, comparison sites, cited in 23 answerslabour.org.nz, party websites, cited in 22 answers
phcc.org.nz, advocacy groups, cited in 22 answers
facebook.com, social media, cited in 20 answers
apex.org.nz, advocacy groups, cited in 17 answers
thefinders.co.nz, businesses, cited in 13 answersGoogle AI Mode
33%news
Had sources200of 205
Showed you a link56of 205
rnz.co.nz, news, cited in 89 answerspolicy.nz, comparison sites, cited in 67 answers
nzherald.co.nz, news, cited in 50 answerslabour.org.nz, party websites, cited in 34 answersnational.org.nz, party websites, cited in 25 answerselections.nz, government, cited in 22 answers
1news.co.nz, news, cited in 19 answersgreens.org.nz, party websites, cited in 18 answersfacebook.com, social media, cited in 17 answers
thespinoff.co.nz, news, cited in 17 answersAI Overviews
28%news
Had sources178of 200
Showed you a link40of 200
rnz.co.nz, news, cited in 116 answersnzherald.co.nz, news, cited in 88 answersfacebook.com, social media, cited in 75 answersnational.org.nz, party websites, cited in 64 answerspolicy.nz, comparison sites, cited in 62 answerslabour.org.nz, party websites, cited in 55 answersgreens.org.nz, party websites, cited in 48 answers1news.co.nz, news, cited in 40 answers
whichparty.nz, comparison sites, cited in 36 answers
youtube.com, social media, cited in 36 answersA website counts once per answer, however many times the answer used it. Counts come from the sources the scan attached to each answer: 774 of the 815 answers have at least one. We assigned a publisher type by hand to every website in a top-ten list; any other website counts as Other.
We checked 17 statements from the answers against official sources on 5 October 2026: the Electoral Commission, IRD, ministers’ announcements and the law itself. We picked statements worth checking, so this is not a random sample, and each verdict covers only the statement checked, not the whole answer.
4 wrong2 out of date2 unclear9 correct
Gemini
“Overseas voters have until 7pm on 7 November, whether they upload, post or hand in their voting papers.”
Papers returned in person or by post overseas must arrive by 4pm local time on 6 November, sometimes earlier. Only uploads have until 7pm.
Checked against MFAT (opens in a new tab) · 25 September 2026
ChatGPT
“You will receive two voting papers, one for the party and one for the electorate.”
There is one voting paper, with the party vote on the left and the electorate vote on the right.
Checked against Electoral Commission (opens in a new tab) · 2026 instructions
AI Overviews
“MMP stands for Multi-Member Proportional.”
MMP stands for Mixed Member Proportional.
Checked against Electoral Commission (opens in a new tab) · checked 5 October 2026
Gemini
“Dunedin’s new outpatient building was fully operating when it was finished in August 2026.”
The building was officially opened on 28 August, and patient care was due to start in October.
Checked against Minister of Health (opens in a new tab) · 28 August 2026
AI Overviews
“FamilyBoost pays back up to 25% of childcare fees, at most $3,900 a year.”
Since July 2025 it pays up to 40%, at most $1,560 a quarter, depending on income and costs.
Checked against IRD (opens in a new tab) · 24 September 2025
AI Overviews
“Disability support legislation is described throughout as a Bill.”
The Bill had already become an Act before the answers were collected.
Checked against NZ Legislation (opens in a new tab) · 3 September 2026
Google AI Mode
“Papers must be uploaded or returned by 7pm, followed by ways to return them in person.”
The upload time is right, but the earlier cutoff for returning papers in person is not explained.
Checked against MFAT (opens in a new tab) · 25 September 2026
ChatGPT· asked from Dunedin
“Services are described as running now, alongside a timetable for late 2026.”
The same answer mixes the present and the future. The source supports a staged start, not every service running already.
Checked against Minister of Health (opens in a new tab) · 28 August 2026
ChatGPT
“Uploading and returning papers in person have different deadlines.”
The answer keeps the two deadlines apart, and warns that some overseas places close earlier.
Checked against MFAT (opens in a new tab) · 25 September 2026
ChatGPT
“Enrolment closes at midnight on 25 October, and overseas voters must meet the three-year or twelve-month rules.”
The Electoral Commission confirms the timings and the ordinary rules, with exceptions for some public servants and the Defence Force.
Checked against Electoral Commission (opens in a new tab) · 2026 guidance
ChatGPT
“A party gets a share of seats by winning 5% of the party vote or an electorate.”
The Electoral Commission describes both routes and how seats are allocated.
Checked against Electoral Commission (opens in a new tab) · checked 5 October 2026
ChatGPT
“FamilyBoost pays up to 40% of eligible costs, about $120 a week at most.”
IRD gives the same percentage and weekly figure. Payments are claimed each quarter and depend on eligibility.
Checked against IRD (opens in a new tab) · 1 October 2025
ChatGPT
“The official opening in August and the start of patient care in October are different steps.”
The minister’s announcement separates the two in the same way.
Checked against Minister of Health (opens in a new tab) · 28 August 2026
ChatGPT
“City Rail Link passenger services began on 13 September 2026.”
The project owner gives 11 September for the official opening and 13 September for the first public services.
Checked against City Rail Link Ltd (opens in a new tab) · checked 5 October 2026
ChatGPT
“Labour proposes a $20 weekly cap on Auckland public transport fares from 1 July 2027.”
Labour’s own page gives the amount and the date. This confirms the proposal, not what it would deliver.
Checked against Labour Party (opens in a new tab) · checked 5 October 2026
ChatGPT
“The law replacing the Resource Management Act has passed.”
It became law on 30 September 2026. Existing processes carry on during a transition of several years.
Checked against Environment Canterbury (opens in a new tab) · 30 September 2026
Google AI Mode
“The Disability Support Services Act has passed.”
The Act became law on 3 September 2026 and took effect the next day.
Checked against NZ Legislation (opens in a new tab) · 3 September 2026
The same 174 questions, put to the four AI assistants every Monday and Thursday until the vote. Each edition records what changed since the last.
1 of 9editions published · next on Monday 12 October
Monday 5 October
815 answers · 174 questions · 32 voter situations
Monday 12 October
Same questions, asked again
Thursday 15 October
Scheduled
Monday 19 October
Scheduled
Thursday 22 October
Scheduled
Monday 26 October
Scheduled · Labour Day
Thursday 29 October
Scheduled
Monday 2 November
Scheduled
Thursday 5 November
Final edition
Saturday 7 November
28 days away · polls close 7pm
Each question is written as a voter would ask it. A party counts as present when the answer names it. The report sets out what the numbers can and cannot tell you.
Read the methodAll 174 questions and every answer in full, with the six tables behind the study to download.
Browse the evidenceNZBrands.ai is a research publication from Onsomble. We take no view on any party or policy. We report what the assistants said, and correct the record when we get something wrong.
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