# Apprentice voting for the first time

NZ Election 2026 · Edition 4 · Voter profiles · S01

I'm 18, starting an apprenticeship and living with my parents. I want to become financially independent but don't understand how voting works.

[Back to the study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4#situations)

| Measure | Value |
| --- | --- |
| questions written for them | 5 |
| answers collected | 20 |
| AI assistants | 4 |
| asked nationally | NZ |

## 5 questions, each written as this voter would ask it

### PF001: Jobs and unemployment

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. Which parties have practical plans for apprenticeships, entry-level jobs and wages?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/23b6b3b2-a56e-450a-b561-2cf3a0e68edd.md)

### PF002: Cost of living

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. What are parties proposing that could help a young worker afford everyday expenses without just shifting the cost elsewhere?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/2e8583f7-e1d0-4014-ad6b-14dc27ec410c.md)

### PF003: Housing

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. If I want to move out in the next couple of years, how do the parties differ on affordable rentals and first-home access?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/0d0571c9-56ec-46e6-8515-fabc002cca8e.md)

### PF004: Democratic institutions and rights

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?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/5d68749b-349a-4d73-bbb7-27eee3c87435.md)

### PF005: Education and childcare

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. Do the parties differ on the cost and availability of vocational training?

[Read the captured answers](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/6c70f683-194c-4660-8a4c-e735b62e401e.md)

## Which parties AI put in front of this voter

Of the 20 answers this voter received, 18 left out at least one of the six parties in Parliament. Te Pāti Māori was named least often, in 2 of 20.

| Party | Answers | Total |
| --- | --- | --- |
| National | 16 | 20 |
| Labour | 16 | 20 |
| Greens | 15 | 20 |
| ACT | 14 | 20 |
| NZ First | 10 | 20 |
| Te Pāti Māori | 2 | 20 |
| Opportunity | 3 | 20 |

## What AI said about each party on this voter's issues

Each row is one of this voter's issues. Each column is a party. The number shows how often the party came up in the answers to this voter. 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.

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jobs and unemployment | National | 4 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Labour | 4 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Greens | 4 | 4 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | ACT | 4 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 3 | 1 |
| Jobs and unemployment | NZ First | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Te Pāti Māori | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jobs and unemployment | Opportunity | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | National | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
| Cost of living | Labour | 4 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Cost of living | Greens | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Cost of living | ACT | 3 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Cost of living | NZ First | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Cost of living | Te Pāti Māori | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Cost of living | Opportunity | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Housing | National | 4 | 4 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Housing | Labour | 4 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| Housing | Greens | 4 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Housing | ACT | 4 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Housing | NZ First | 4 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Housing | Te Pāti Māori | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Housing | Opportunity | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Democratic institutions and rights | National | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | Labour | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | Greens | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | ACT | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | NZ First | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | Te Pāti Māori | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democratic institutions and rights | Opportunity | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

| Topic | Party | Recommended or named answers | Collected answers | Positive claims | Neutral claims | Negative claims | Mixed claims |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Education and childcare | National | 4 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | Labour | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | Greens | 4 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | ACT | 3 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | NZ First | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | Te Pāti Māori | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Education and childcare | Opportunity | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |

## How the assistants handled this voter's main question

More specific wage comparisons; narrower named-party field

The apprenticeship answer moves from broad left/right approaches and a separate NZ First mention to four individual party sections. It now supplies specific apprentice wage figures and a proposed tools allowance, while explaining the MMP threshold more explicitly. The distinction between direct support and employer-led growth remains. Those figures are captured assertions, not independently validated outcomes; removing a party from this one answer does not establish a platform-wide preference.

Gemini: “**New Zealand First:**”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/3/questions/23b6b3b2-a56e-450a-b561-2cf3a0e68edd.md) · Answer ID: 7bc9636d-f7d1-4be2-8052-20c2b81b97f4

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.”

[Read the answer](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/questions/23b6b3b2-a56e-450a-b561-2cf3a0e68edd.md) · Answer ID: 03afd7c6-69a2-41ef-9a9b-25b6d06ac998

## Where the answers to this voter came from

The websites each assistant drew on when it answered this voter, and what kind of publisher they are. Pick an issue to see the websites for that question.

### ChatGPT

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| vote.nz | 5 |
| labour.org.nz | 4 |
| national.org.nz | 4 |
| policy.nz | 4 |
| reuters.com | 4 |
| elections.nz | 3 |
| greens.org.nz | 3 |
| act.org.nz | 2 |
| nzfirst.nz | 2 |
| b2bnews.co.nz | 1 |

### Gemini

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| elections.nz | 2 |
| policy.nz | 2 |
| vote.nz | 2 |
| 1news.co.nz | 1 |
| facebook.com | 1 |
| labour.org.nz | 1 |
| nbr.co.nz | 1 |
| realestate.co.nz | 1 |
| thefinders.co.nz | 1 |
| waateanews.com | 1 |

### Google AI Mode

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| elections.nz | 3 |
| en.wikipedia.org | 2 |
| labour.org.nz | 2 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 2 |
| rnz.co.nz | 2 |
| 1news.co.nz | 1 |
| newsroom.co.nz | 1 |
| pmn.co.nz | 1 |
| policy.nz | 1 |
| realestate.co.nz | 1 |

### AI Overviews

| Website | Answers with this website recorded |
| --- | --- |
| facebook.com | 5 |
| rnz.co.nz | 4 |
| youtube.com | 3 |
| labour.org.nz | 2 |
| nzherald.co.nz | 2 |
| policy.nz | 2 |
| thespinoff.co.nz | 2 |
| waateanews.com | 2 |
| elections.nz | 1 |
| en.wikipedia.org | 1 |

A website counts once per answer, however many times the answer used it. Counts come from the sources recorded with each answer: 20 of this voter's 20 answers have at least one. Publisher shares count website-and-answer associations; they are separate from answer counts.

[Previous: Queenstown Lakes: hospitality worker in an insecure rental](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/voters/r09)

[Next: Student renting and working part time](https://nzbrands.ai/research/nz-election-2026/editions/4/voters/s02)