Search studies, brands and more…⌘ KExplore research

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 a Māori parent in a working household. I want to compare household costs and local services, and I also care about Te Tiriti and Māori participation in decisions. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do Māori and general electorates work, and does my choice of roll change the parties I can give my party vote to?

No. Your roll does not restrict your party vote. In the 2026 general election, Māori and general-roll voters can choose from the same list of registered parties for their party vote.

• Māori roll: you vote for a candidate in your local Māori electorate.
• General roll: you vote for a candidate in your local general electorate.
• Everyone: you get a separate party vote, which helps determine each party’s share of Parliament.

For 2026 there are 7 Māori electorates and 64 general electorates.

So, for example, choosing the Māori roll doesn't mean you have to party-vote for a Māori party; you can party-vote for any registered party contesting the party vote.

For Te Tiriti/Māori representation, the practical difference is primarily emphasis which electorate representative you get to choose; your party vote remains independent of that choice.

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

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

Gemini · No location

I'm a Māori parent in a working household. I want to compare household costs and local services, and I also care about Te Tiriti and Māori participation in decisions. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do Māori and general electorates work, and does my choice of roll change the parties I can give my party vote to?

As a Māori parent balancing household costs while caring about Te Tiriti o Waitangi and strong representation, understanding how your vote works is a powerful step.

How Māori and General Electorates Work

New Zealand uses the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system. When you vote in a general election, you cast two main types of votes:

  • The Party Vote: This is your vote for a political party. It is the most important vote for determining the overall proportion of seats each party gets in Parliament, which ultimately shapes the government and policies impacting household economics, cost of living, and social services.
  • The Electorate Vote: This is your vote for a local Member of Parliament (MP) to represent your specific geographic area.

Depending on your descent, you choose which electoral roll you wish to be on:

  • The General Roll: You vote for a candidate standing in the general electorate where you live.
  • The Māori Roll: You vote for a candidate standing in the Māori electorate that covers your region.

Does Your Roll Choice Change Your Party Vote Options?

No, your choice of roll does not change the parties you can give your party vote to.

No matter whether you choose the Māori roll or the general roll, you receive the exact same ballot paper for your party vote, featuring the complete, nationwide list of registered political parties. Your party vote carries equal weight toward shaping government policy regardless of your roll.

Why Your Roll Choice Still Matters for Te Tiriti and Voice

While the party vote remains identical, your roll choice impacts representation in distinct ways:

  • Local MP Candidates: Being on the Māori roll allows you to vote for a Māori electorate MP who specifically advocates for Māori whānau and communities within a dedicated Māori electorate framework.
  • Roll Strength: The total number of people enrolled on the Māori roll directly determines how many Māori electorate seats exist in Parliament (governed by the Māori Electoral Option). A higher number strengthens the structural footprint of Māori representation legislatively.
  • Local Government Connection: Your parliamentary roll choice can also flow through to how you vote in local council elections, particularly regarding participation in local Māori wards or constituencies (where established by councils).

Are you leaning toward a specific focus—such as comparing how different parties plan to address household living costs, or how they engage with Te Tiriti obligations?

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 a Māori parent in a working household. I want to compare household costs and local services, and I also care about Te Tiriti and Māori participation in decisions. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do Māori and general electorates work, and does my choice of roll change the parties I can give my party vote to?

In New Zealand's MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) voting system, if you are of Māori descent, you have a powerful choice to make regarding which electoral roll you wish to be on.

Here is how Māori and general electorates work, and what your choice means for your vote.

Does your choice of roll change your Party Vote?

No. Your choice of roll does not change the political parties you can give your party vote to. [Vote NZ]

  • The Party Vote: Whichever roll you choose (Māori or general), you receive the exact same ballot paper for your party vote. You can vote for any registered political party running nationally (such as Labour, National, Te Pāti Māori, the Greens, ACT, NZ First, etc.).
  • The Power of the Party Vote: The party vote is the most critical vote in determining the overall share of seats each party gets in Parliament. Your party vote choice is completely independent of whether you sit on the Māori or general roll. [Vote NZ]

How do Māori and General Electorates work?

While your party vote remains the same, your choice of roll changes your electorate (MP) vote —meaning who you vote for to locally represent your specific geographic area. [Vote NZ]

  • If you are on the Māori Roll:
  • You vote for a candidate standing in your large, regional Māori electorate (for example, Te Tai Hauāuru , Waiariki , or Ikaroa-Rāwhiti).
  • Your local MP will be the candidate who wins that specific Māori electorate.
  • If you are on the General Roll:
  • You vote for a candidate standing in your local general electorate (for example, Palmerston North , Dunedin , or East Coast).
  • Your local MP will be the candidate who wins that specific general electorate. [Vote NZ]

How your Roll Choice connects to Te Tiriti, Representation, and Local Decisions

Given that you care deeply about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Māori self-determination, and local/household decision-making, your roll choice has broader structural impacts:

  1. Counting and Scaling Māori Representation: The number of Māori electorates is not fixed; it is recalculated based on how many people of Māori descent choose to enroll on the Māori roll versus the general roll. Choosing the Māori roll directly strengthens the statistical mandate for having a greater number of dedicated Māori electorates in Parliament.
  2. Local Government (Council) Elections: Your electoral roll choice also flows into local government elections. Being on the Māori roll determines your eligibility to vote for candidates standing in local Māori wards or constituencies on your regional or district council (where established), directly impacting local decision-making and resource allocation for your whānau and community.
  3. Voice and Advocacy: Proponents of the Māori roll argue it guarantees a distinct, uncompromised voice for tangata whenua directly inside the parliamentary and local governance framework. Conversely, some choose the general roll to lobby and influence general electorate MPs directly on local household and economic issues.

Next Steps & Checking Details

  • To check which roll you are currently on, or to explore boundary maps for both local general and Māori electorates, you can visit the official Vote NZ portal.
  • Read detailed guidelines on the rules of changing your registration through the Elections NZ Māori Electoral Option page.
Ask anything

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

AI Overviews · No location

I'm a Māori parent in a working household. I want to compare household costs and local services, and I also care about Te Tiriti and Māori participation in decisions. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. How do Māori and general electorates work, and does my choice of roll change the parties I can give my party vote to?

AI Overview

No, your choice of electoral roll does not affect the parties you can give your party vote to. Under New Zealand’s Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system, every voter receives the exact same list of political parties for their Party Vote , regardless of whether they are on the Māori roll or the General roll.

The Party Vote is the most powerful vote because it largely determines how many total seats a party gets in Parliament. Your roll choice only changes your Electorate Vote (the candidate representing your specific local area).

Direct Comparison: Māori Roll vs. General Roll

Feature Māori Electoral Roll General Electoral Roll
Party Vote Can vote for any registered political party nationwide. Can vote for any registered political party nationwide.
Electorate Vote You vote for a candidate standing in one of the 7 Māori electorates. You vote for a candidate standing in one of the 64 general electorates.
Purpose Designed to ensure guaranteed Māori representation and a voice for Te Tiriti in Parliament. Represents the general geographic boundary of your local residential area.
Boundary Size Much larger geographic areas (e.g., covering entire regions or halves of an island). Smaller local geographic neighborhoods or districts.

Important 2026 Deadlines to Keep in Mind

Because we are in an election year, the rules for moving between rolls shift to keep the process stable:

  • The Roll Switch Deadline Has Passed: Enrolled voters had until midnight on 6 August 2026 to switch between rolls. If you are already enrolled, you will vote in the 2026 election using whichever roll you were on as of that date.

  • First-Time Voters: If you are enrolling to vote for the very first time, you can still choose either roll when you fill out your application.

  • Enrolment Deadline: You must make sure you are enrolled to vote by midnight on 25 October 2026. (Note: Unlike previous years, you cannot enrol at the voting place on Election Day itself).

No matter which roll you are on, your vote is a critical tool for influencing policy decisions regarding the working household costs, local council services, and Te Tiriti protections that affect your whānau.

To look up your current enrollment status or view your specific electorate boundary, you can visit the official Vote NZ platform.

Would you like to look up which specific electorate boundaries cover your area, or would you like to explore how individual party policies stack up on living costs and local services?

Ask anything

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