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.
485of 776
answers that named a different set of parties
485 of the same 776 answers named a different set of parties on 19 October than on 16 October.
See which parties were named316of 776
answers that named Te Pāti Māori
On the same 776 answers, Te Pāti Māori fell from 338 to 316. ACT rose from 610 to 624 and the Greens from 674 to 683.
Compare the parties77of 116
location answers that named different parties from the national answer
We asked the same questions nationally and from nine locations. In 77 of 116 complete pairs the location answer named different parties, up from 57 of the same pairs on 16 October. One answer per setting shows variation; it does not show that the location caused it.
Explore the nine locations22of 31
answers that pointed the voter toward particular parties
When voters asked who to vote for, no answer named a single party. As on 16 October, 22 of the 31 answers said which parties fit the voter's priorities, and 17 said plainly that the choice was the voter's, up from 14.
See what the answers did52of 169
Google AI Overviews that included a link
On the same questions, 52 of 169 AI Overviews included a link, down from 57 on 16 October.
See links by assistant3of 13
checked statements that were wrong
Gemini gave an overseas voter two wrong rules about enrolling from overseas, and Google AI Mode described Te Pāti Māori's aim as 'Moorish self-determination'. Three more statements left out an important condition.
See every checkHow we asked the questions, counted the answers and checked the statements.
The charts show seven parties: the six parties in Parliament and The Opportunity Party. Of the 710 answers that named a party in Parliament, 454 left at least one out.
These seven parties are the six parliamentary parties plus The Opportunity Party. Each party counts once per answer. The upper bar is 19 October; the lower bar is 16 October. Both count the same 776 answers.
Each square is one answer. Raised squares named all six parties in Parliament. Changes are percentage points on the same 163 combinations per assistant.
The columns show the six parties in Parliament and The Opportunity Party.
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 · 776 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 | |||||||
| Te Tiriti and Māori–Crown relations | |||||||
| Foreign affairs and defence | |||||||
| Immigration | |||||||
| Mental health and addiction | |||||||
| Crime and justice |
Eight questions asked for a recommendation, a shortlist or a verdict on the best plan. No answer gave an unconditional instruction to vote for one party. Select a square to read the original 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 7 |
| Said it would not chooseStated that it would not pick a party for the voter. | 7of 8 | 3of 8 | 5of 8 | 2of 7 |
| Matched parties to the voter’s prioritiesSaid which parties or blocs fit what the voter cares about. | 6of 8 | 5of 8 | 5of 8 | 6of 7 |
| Named parties to look at firstGave a shortlist of parties to compare. | 1of 8 | 0of 8 | 0of 8 | 3of 7 |
| Asked what matters to the voterAsked about the voter’s priorities before going further. | 8of 8 | 7of 8 | 2of 8 | 6of 7 |
Each square is one of the eight questions, in the same order in every cell. Behaviours can overlap. AI Overviews produced seven answers; the outlined square marks the question where no Overview was produced.
Every question was asked as one of 32 New Zealanders: nine people in named locations, 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
42%party websites
Had sources201of 205
Showed you a link203of 205
labour.org.nz, party websites,cited in 139 answers139national.org.nz, party websites,cited in 124 answers124greens.org.nz, party websites,cited in 122 answers122
reuters.com, news,cited in 114 answers114
policy.nz, comparison sites,cited in 102 answers102nzfirst.nz, party websites,cited in 85 answers85act.org.nz, party websites,cited in 84 answers84
beehive.govt.nz, government,cited in 30 answers30
elections.nz, government,cited in 23 answers23maoriparty.org.nz, party websites,cited in 21 answers21Gemini
64%other
Had sources200of 205
Showed you a link9of 205
whichparty.nz, comparison sites,cited in 47 answers47
kiwicoaches.co.nz, other,cited in 21 answers21
nzvotecheck.com, other,cited in 21 answers21policy.nz, comparison sites,cited in 20 answers20national.org.nz, party websites,cited in 17 answers17labour.org.nz, party websites,cited in 14 answers14
thespinoff.co.nz, news,cited in 13 answers13Google AI Mode
40%other
Had sources196of 197
Showed you a link53of 197
rnz.co.nz, news,cited in 100 answers100policy.nz, comparison sites,cited in 59 answers59
nzherald.co.nz, news,cited in 55 answers55labour.org.nz, party websites,cited in 47 answers47
facebook.com, social media,cited in 33 answers33thespinoff.co.nz, news,cited in 25 answers25elections.nz, government,cited in 21 answers21greens.org.nz, party websites,cited in 21 answers21
stories.theconversation.com, other,cited in 21 answers21
en.wikipedia.org, other,cited in 17 answers17AI Overviews
46%other
Had sources169of 169
Showed you a link52of 169
rnz.co.nz, news,cited in 102 answers102facebook.com, social media,cited in 78 answers78nzherald.co.nz, news,cited in 78 answers78labour.org.nz, party websites,cited in 60 answers60policy.nz, comparison sites,cited in 53 answers53
youtube.com, social media,cited in 47 answers47greens.org.nz, party websites,cited in 43 answers43national.org.nz, party websites,cited in 42 answers42stories.theconversation.com, other,cited in 34 answers34whichparty.nz, comparison sites,cited in 28 answers28A website counts once per answer, however many times it was used. Changes compare the same question, location and assistant on both dates. Publisher shares count website-and-answer associations; they are separate from answer counts.
We reviewed thirteen statements from the 19 October answers against primary sources on 21 October 2026. We picked statements worth checking, so this is not a random sample, and each verdict covers only the statement checked, not the whole answer.
3 wrong0 out of date3 unclear7 correct
Gemini
“As an eligible New Zealand citizen living overseas, your right to vote remains intact (provided you have been in New Zealand within the last three years, or six years if you are a public servant or serving member of the Armed Forces).”
The ordinary presence windows are three years for citizens and twelve months for residents for electoral purposes. Qualifying overseas public servants, diplomats, trade representatives, NZDF members and their families are not subject to a time-away limit. The page specifically directs first-time Māori-descent enrollees to their roll choice.
Checked against Electoral Commission — enrol from overseas (opens in a new tab) · checked 21 October 2026
Gemini
“As an overseas voter, you vote in a general electorate based on where you last lived in New Zealand.”
The ordinary presence windows are three years for citizens and twelve months for residents for electoral purposes. Qualifying overseas public servants, diplomats, trade representatives, NZDF members and their families are not subject to a time-away limit. The page specifically directs first-time Māori-descent enrollees to their roll choice.
Checked against Electoral Commission — enrol from overseas (opens in a new tab) · checked 21 October 2026
Google AI Mode
“Te Pāti Māori (Mino / Independent Indigenous Rights): Champions tino rangatiratanga (Moorish self-determination), stronger recognition of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, addressing socio-economic inequalities for Māori, and systemic wealth redistribution.”
The term concerns Māori authority, chieftainship and self-government in the context of Te Tiriti. It does not mean Moorish self-determination; its constitutional interpretation is debated.
Checked against Te Ara — Kāwanatanga and tino rangatiratanga (opens in a new tab) · checked 21 October 2026
Gemini
“7 November 2026 (7:00 pm NZ time): Election Day and the hard deadline for your completed voting papers to be received.”
Uploads close at 7pm NZ time on 7 November. Overseas physical receipt is by 4pm local time on 6 November, with some posts closing earlier. Enrolment closes on 25 October.
Checked against MFAT — 2026 General Election (opens in a new tab) · 2026-09-25 · checked 21 October 2026
Gemini
“If your primary concern is direct relief for your weekly budget, left-leaning parties (Labour's $20 weekly cap or the Greens' deep fare reductions) offer immediate, direct savings on your Henderson-to-city commute.”
Labour proposes weekly fare caps of $20 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and $10 elsewhere from 1 July 2027 under a Labour government. The pledge is not a current fare entitlement.
Checked against Labour — public transport fare-cap announcement (opens in a new tab) · checked 21 October 2026
AI Overviews
“Kiwi Kids Grant: They have also floated a $5,000 birth grant for new parents to offset the initial steep costs of equipment and care.”
The proposed grant is $5,000 per year for the first three years of each of the first three children, with at least one citizen parent, paid monthly with a first-child first-year lump-sum option.
Checked against NZ First — Kiwi Kids Grant announcement (opens in a new tab) · 2026-08-02 · checked 21 October 2026
ChatGPT
“In 2025, the Government increased the claim rate from 25% to 40% of eligible fees, with a maximum claim of $120 a week and a household income limit just under $230,000.”
For quarters after July 2025 the maximum rate is 40%, capped at $1,560 per quarter, with quarterly income abatement. A weekly equivalent is not the payment frequency.
Checked against Inland Revenue — FamilyBoost claim amounts (opens in a new tab) · checked 21 October 2026
AI Overviews
“FamilyBoost Rebate: National’s core childcare policy remains the FamilyBoost childcare rebate, which lets you claim back 40% of your out-of-pocket early childhood education (ECE) fees (capped quarterly).”
For quarters after July 2025 the maximum rate is 40%, capped at $1,560 per quarter, with quarterly income abatement. A weekly equivalent is not the payment frequency.
Checked against Inland Revenue — FamilyBoost claim amounts (opens in a new tab) · checked 21 October 2026
Gemini
“Any remaining seats are filled using a prioritized "party list" that parties publish before the election.”
The Commission publicly released candidate and party lists before collection, for 17 registered parties seeking the party vote.
Checked against Electoral Commission — candidate and party lists released (opens in a new tab) · 2026-10-09 · checked 21 October 2026
Gemini
“Status: Open and operational.”
Health NZ reports outpatient clinical opening on 12 October. Patients are instructed to follow appointment communications. Evidence available through the primary publisher search-index extract; direct page retrieval returned 403.
Checked against Health NZ — first patients welcomed to the outpatient building (opens in a new tab) · 2026-10-13 · checked 21 October 2026
Gemini
“Crucially, this would be paid on top of existing student allowances or student loan living-cost supports rather than replacing them.”
The party announcement proposes $380 per week during qualifying compulsory placements, in addition to existing loan or allowance support. It covers specified professional training, not all students throughout their courses.
Checked against Greens — paid professional placements (opens in a new tab) · 2026-10-16 · checked 21 October 2026
Gemini
“They have campaigned on scrapping the lower training and starting-out minimum wages (which sit at $19.16 per hour, compared to the $23.95 adult minimum wage), requiring all apprentices and entry-level workers to be paid the full minimum wage.”
The adult minimum becomes $23.95 and qualifying training/starting-out minimum $19.16 per hour from 1 April 2026. The lower rate applies only where legal criteria are met.
Checked against MBIE — minimum wage set for 2026 (opens in a new tab) · checked 21 October 2026
Gemini
“You can also access resources like the Election Access Fund, which assists disabled candidates, and review the Electoral Commission’s Access 2026 plan for voting accessibility information.*”
The fund supports disabled people seeking selection or standing as candidates. It is not a general grant for disabled voters.
Checked against Electoral Commission — Election Access Fund (opens in a new tab) · checked 21 October 2026
Each edition keeps its own findings, questions and original answers. The study opens on the latest edition.
Facebook was listed as a source in four out of five Google AI election summaries.
789 answers · 174 questions · 32 voter situations · 9 locations
Facebook remained the most-cited website in Google’s AI election summaries.
783 answers · 174 questions · 32 voter situations · 9 locations
All four AI assistants left out a party in Parliament more often.
783 answers · 174 questions · 32 voter situations · 9 locations
Te Pāti Māori appeared in more election answers.
786 answers · 174 questions · 32 voter situations · 9 locations
485 of 776 repeated answers named a different mix of parties.
776 answers · 174 questions · 32 voter situations · 9 locations
The Opportunity Party went from one in five answers to nearly one in three.
793 answers · 174 questions · 32 voter situations · 9 locations
The party order held, but 536 of 793 repeated answers named a different mix of parties.
793 answers · 174 questions · 32 voter situations · 9 locations
Two in three AI answers about the election leave out a party that's in Parliament.
815 answers · 174 questions · 32 voter situations · 9 locations
Thursday 5 November
Same questions, asked again
Saturday 7 November
3 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 776 answers in full, with the tables behind the results and comparisons.
Explore the evidenceNZBrands.ai is a research publication from Onsomble. We take no view on any business, party or policy. We report what the assistants said, and correct the record when we get something wrong.
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