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Evidence · NZ Election 2026

Every question, every answer, every source

Everything the study collected, as it was collected on 5 October 2026. Read any answer in full, or download the tables behind every figure in the study.

questions
174
voters the questions were written as
32
answers collected, of 820 planned
815
answers compared like for like
800
pairs of national and town answers
124
answers with sources recorded
774
answers that showed a link
304

01

Every question, with its answers

Each question was written as a voter would ask it and went to all four assistants. Some were also asked from a town. Open a question to read every answer to it in full.

Showing 20 of 174 questions

Show all 174

02

The tables behind the study

Every figure on the study page comes from these tables. They are CSV files, which open in any spreadsheet.

  • Questions

    nz-election-2026-questions.csv

    One row per question.

    Question id, report reference, question, voter, issue, towns it was also asked from, answers per assistant

    174rows

    Download questions (CSV)

  • Answers

    nz-election-2026-answers.csv

    One row per answer, with its full text.

    Answer id, question id, assistant, town, words, parties named, showed a link, websites recorded as sources, compared like for like, full text

    815rows

    Download answers (CSV)

  • Sources by answer

    nz-election-2026-sources.csv

    One row for each website recorded as a source of an answer.

    Answer id, question id, assistant, town, website, publisher type

    4,216rows

    Download sources by answer (CSV)

  • Checks against official sources

    nz-election-2026-checks.csv

    One row per statement checked.

    Check, answer id, assistant, what the answer said, verdict, what the source says, source, date

    17rows

    Download checks against official sources (CSV)

  • Who to vote for: coding

    nz-election-2026-guidance.csv

    One row per answer to the eight questions that asked who to vote for.

    Answer id, question id, assistant, what the answer did, the words that show it

    32rows

    Download who to vote for: coding (CSV)

  • Location and national answers

    nz-election-2026-towns.csv

    One row per question asked both nationally and from a location, for each assistant.

    Question, town, assistant, both answer ids, parties named nationally and from the town, same parties

    124rows

    Download location and national answers (CSV)

Use these tables to trace findings back to the original questions and answers. The full text of each answer is also on this page, under its question.

03

Read in full and checked

Some answers were read in detail or checked against official sources. Those appear on the study page, beside the findings they support.

ChatGPT · No location

I'm 18, starting an apprenticeship and living with my parents. I want to become financially independent but don't understand how voting works. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do my two votes work, and what does voting for a smaller party actually mean?

It’s great that you’re learning how this works before casting your first vote. In New Zealand’s MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) system, your two votes do different jobs. What is MMP? | Elections NZ

Your two votes

1. Party vote — “Which party should have influence in Parliament?”

Your party vote is the big one for deciding the overall balance of Parliament. It helps determine how many seats each party receives. If a party gets around 10% of the party vote, it will generally end up with around 10% of the seats (as long as it qualifies for representation). What is MMP? | Elections NZ

Example:

  • Party A gets 40% of the party vote → roughly 40% of the seats.
  • Party B gets 8% → roughly 8% of the seats.
  • Party C gets 3% → usually no seats unless it wins an electorate seat. What is MMP? | Elections NZ

2. Electorate vote — “Who should be my local MP?”

Your electorate vote chooses the candidate who represents your local area. The candidate with the most votes in your electorate wins that seat. How are MPs elected? | Elections NZ

You can vote:

  • for a candidate from the same party you gave your party vote to, or
  • for a candidate from a different party.

That is completely allowed.

For example:

  • Party vote: Party X (because you like their national policies)
  • Electorate vote: Candidate Y (because you prefer that person as your local representative)

What happens if you vote for a smaller party?

Voting for a smaller party can mean different things depending on the result.

If the smaller party gets enough support to enter Parliament

A party usually needs either:

  • 5% or more of the party vote, or
  • one electorate seat,

to receive seats in Parliament. What is MMP? | Elections NZ

If it gets in, your party vote helps give that party MPs and influence. Smaller parties can also become important during government formation because parties often need agreements with other parties to have enough support to govern. What happens in a general election? | Elections NZ

If the smaller party does not get into Parliament

Your vote does not transfer to another party. It simply remains recorded as a vote for that party, but it does not help elect MPs if the party does not meet the threshold. Facts about New Zealand elections | Vote NZ

A simple way to think about it

  • Party vote = “Who do I want to shape Parliament?”
  • Electorate vote = “Who do I want representing my neighbourhood?”

When deciding, many first-time voters look at things like:

  • policies that affect their stage of life (training, wages, housing, transport, taxes)
  • whether they prefer a large party with a broad chance of influence or a smaller party focused on particular issues
  • the candidates standing in their electorate

You don’t have to vote the same way as your parents just because you live with them — your vote is your own choice.

The 2026 New Zealand general election is scheduled for 7 November 2026. What happens in a general election? | Elections NZ If you want, I can also explain how to compare parties without getting overwhelmed by campaign promises or how governments are formed after election night.

Ask anything

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Gemini · No location

I'm 18, starting an apprenticeship and living with my parents. I want to become financially independent but don't understand how voting works. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do my two votes work, and what does voting for a smaller party actually mean?

Welcome to voting age and congratulations on starting your apprenticeship! Stepping into the workforce and taking part in your first general election are massive milestones toward financial and civic independence.

New Zealand uses a voting system called Mixed Member Proportional (MMP). Under MMP, every voter gets two distinct votes: the Party Vote and the Electorate Vote.

1. Your Two Votes Explained

  • The Party Vote (The Most Important Vote):
    • What it does: This is your vote for the political party you want to see in Parliament. It largely determines the overall proportion of seats each party gets overall. If a party gets 30% of the total party votes nationwide, they get roughly 30% of the seats in Parliament.
    • Why it matters: This vote decides the makeup of Parliament and ultimately which parties have the numbers to form a government (either alone or by coalition/agreements).
  • The Electorate Vote (Your Local MP):
    • What it does: This is your vote for a local candidate to represent the specific geographic area (electorate) where you live, regardless of whether they belong to a political party or are running as an independent.
    • Why it matters: The candidate who gets the most votes in your local area wins and becomes your local Member of Parliament (MP), running an electorate office to help local constituents.

You do not have to vote for the same party for both. For example, you can give your electorate vote to a local candidate you like from one party, but give your party vote to a completely different party.

2. What Voting for a Smaller Party Means

Under MMP, supporting a smaller party carries specific rules and impacts:

  • The 5% Threshold Rule: To enter Parliament on party votes alone, a political party must win at least 5% of the total party vote nationwide, or win at least one local electorate seat.
  • What happens if they pass it: If a smaller party clears the 5% mark (or wins an electorate seat), every single party vote they received turns into seats in Parliament for their ranked list candidates. This gives them leverage. Because New Zealand rarely sees a single party win a majority of seats, smaller parties often act as "kingmakers," entering coalitions or confidence-and-supply agreements with larger parties to help form a government.
  • What happens if they miss it (The "Wasted Vote" risk): If a smaller party fails to reach 5% and fails to win any electorate seat, those party votes do not translate into seats. Critics call this a "wasted vote" because it doesn't help elect anyone, and the remaining seats in Parliament are divided up among the parties that did cross the threshold.
  • The Electorate Loophole for Small Parties: If a smaller party fails to get 5% of the party vote nationally, but wins just one local electorate seat, they are exempt from the 5% rule and get to bring in other MPs from their party list based on their percentage of the vote.

As an apprentice thinking about your future, wages, and the economy, looking closely at what both major and smaller parties stand for can help you decide where your voice is best placed.

Are you leaning toward supporting a particular issue or industry focus with your vote this year?

Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

Captured 5 October 2026 · shown as Gemini gave it, not a verified account

Google AI Mode · No location

I'm 18, starting an apprenticeship and living with my parents. I want to become financially independent but don't understand how voting works. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do my two votes work, and what does voting for a smaller party actually mean?

First up, congrats on turning 18, starting your apprenticeship, and taking an interest in shaping where the country's headed. Moving toward financial independence is a massive step, and understanding how your voice fits into our democracy is a huge part of that.

New Zealand uses a voting system called Mixed Member Proportional (MMP). Under MMP, you get two distinct votes on your ballot paper. Here is how they break down and what supporting a smaller party actually means.

Your Two Votes Explained

  1. The Party Vote (The most powerful vote)
  • What it is: You vote for the political party you want to see in government.
  • What it does: This is the big one. Your party vote determines the total share of seats each party gets in Parliament. If a party gets 40% of the total party votes nationwide, they get roughly 40% of the seats in Parliament (around 48 out of 120 seats). This vote essentially decides which leader gets to form a government and what the overall balance of power looks like.
  1. The Electorate Vote (Your local MP)
  • What it is: You vote for a specific local candidate running to represent the specific geographic area (electorate) you live in.
  • What it does: This works on a simple "winner-takes-all" basis—the candidate who gets the most votes in your local area wins the seat and becomes your local Member of Parliament (MP), regardless of whether they belong to a large or small party.

What Voting for a Smaller Party Actually Means

Under New Zealand's MMP rules, a smaller party needs to clear a specific hurdle to secure proportional seats in Parliament. To enter Parliament or get a slice of seats matching their party vote, a party must achieve at least one of two things : [New Zealand Parliament]

  • The 5% Threshold: Win 5% or more of the total party vote across the entire country.
  • The Electorate Seat Rule: Win just one local electorate seat anywhere in the country. [New Zealand Parliament]

If a smaller party hits one of these marks, what does your vote do?

  • It gives them leverage (Kingmaker potential): Because major parties (like Labour or National) rarely win enough party votes to govern entirely alone, they usually need to form coalitions or support agreements with smaller parties. If you give a small party your party vote, you help them gain more seats, which increases their bargaining power to influence policy (e.g., pushing for changes to trades training, cost-of-living support, or housing).
  • Is a small party vote "wasted"? Some people worry that if a small party fails to reach 5% or win an electorate seat, their party vote won't count toward any seats in Parliament. However, voting for them still sends a clear signal to larger parties about what issues matter to young workers and apprentices.
  • The Electorate Loophole for Small Parties: If a popular local candidate from a small party wins their local electorate race, that small party is exempt from the 5% rule. Any party votes they received nationwide will then be used to bring in extra MPs from their party list. [New Zealand Parliament]

Next Steps for the Election

To make sure you're ready to cast your two votes, you can check your enrollment details, find your local electorate, and get official guidance through the Elections NZ website.

Ask anything

Captured 5 October 2026 · shown as Google AI Mode gave it, not a verified account

AI Overviews · No location

I'm 18, starting an apprenticeship and living with my parents. I want to become financially independent but don't understand how voting works. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do my two votes work, and what does voting for a smaller party actually mean?

AI Overview

Congratulations on starting your apprenticeship! Taking control of both your finances and your democratic voice are major steps toward independent adulthood.

In New Zealand's Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system, you get two votes on a single ballot paper : the Party Vote and the Electorate Vote.

Here is exactly how your two votes work and how minor parties play a massive role in deciding New Zealand's laws, including policies that impact your wages, taxes, and training.

1. The Party Vote (The Big Decider)

The Party Vote is the vote for the political party you want to lead the country.

  • What it does: It dictates the total percentage of seats each party gets in the 120-seat Parliament.

  • How it works: If a party wins 30% of the party vote , they get roughly 30% of the seats (about 36 MPs). It doesn't matter where in New Zealand those voters live; every single party vote across the country is pooled together.

2. The Electorate Vote (Your Local Voice)

The Electorate Vote is for the specific person you want to represent your local area (your electorate).

  • What it does: New Zealand is carved into geographical areas called electorates. The candidate in your area with the most votes wins that seat and automatically becomes an MP.

  • The distinction: You can "split" your vote. For example, you can vote for a local candidate from Party A because you think they serve your community well, but give your Party Vote to Party B because you want Party B's leader to run the country.

What Voting for a Smaller Party Means

Because a single party rarely wins more than 50% of the vote on their own, minor parties are incredibly powerful in New Zealand. They frequently act as "kingmakers," choosing which large party (usually National or Labour) to partner with to form a coalition government.

However, before a small party can get any seats in Parliament, they must clear one of two hurdles :

The Two Entry Rules What It Means
The 5% Threshold Rule The party must win at least 5% of the total national Party Vote. If they get 4.9% and don't win a local seat, they get 0 seats in Parliament and those votes are discarded.
The Electorate Lifejacket If a minor party candidate wins a local electorate seat , the 5% threshold is bypassed. The party enters Parliament with that MP, plus a proportional number of extra "List MPs" based on whatever small percentage of the party vote they did get.

Is voting for a small party a "wasted" vote?

  • No, if they clear the 5% mark or win a local electorate. In fact, your vote gives them immense leverage to force the bigger parties to adopt their policies (such as changes to youth wages, apprentice subsidies, or tax brackets).

  • Yes, if they fail to clear either hurdle. If they fall below 5% and win no electorates, your party vote won't contribute to seats in Parliament. If you want to vote for a very small party, look closely at their polling numbers or see if they have a strong chance of winning a specific local seat.

If you want to start looking into how this connects to your goal of financial independence, let me know:

  • What industry is your apprenticeship in?

  • Are you interested in learning how different parties' tax policies affect your take-home pay?

I can help you look up what issues might affect your wallet the most!

Ask anything

Captured 5 October 2026 · shown as AI Overviews gave it, not a verified account