Explore 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

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

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

    Apprentice voting for the first time

    Jobs and unemployment

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

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

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

    Apprentice voting for the first time

    Cost of living

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

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

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

    Apprentice voting for the first time

    Housing

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • How do my two votes work, and what does voting for a smaller party actually mean?

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

    Apprentice voting for the first time

    Democratic institutions and rights

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

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

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

    Apprentice voting for the first time

    Education and childcare

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • How do parties compare on student allowances, living-cost support and student loans?

    I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study.

    Student renting and working part time

    Education and childcare

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • Which parties are offering meaningful changes for renters, and how would their plans affect rent costs, healthy homes and tenancy security?

    I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study.

    Student renting and working part time

    Housing

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • What would parties do about food and transport costs for someone studying on a tight budget?

    I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study.

    Student renting and working part time

    Cost of living

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • What are parties proposing about graduate jobs and the rights of people doing part-time work?

    I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study.

    Student renting and working part time

    Jobs and unemployment

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • What differences are there in parties' plans for affordable mental health support for students?

    I'm a tertiary student renting a room, working part time and using a student loan. I am struggling to fit paid work around study.

    Student renting and working part time

    Mental health and addiction

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • What would the parties change about rental affordability, tenancy protections and the supply of rental homes?

    I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't.

    Renter with variable work hours

    Housing

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • Which parties would change rules around guaranteed hours, casual work and sick leave, and what are the trade-offs?

    I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't.

    Renter with variable work hours

    Jobs and unemployment

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • What would parties do for households whose wages are not keeping up with groceries and bills?

    I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't.

    Renter with variable work hours

    Cost of living

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • How do parties plan to bring down electricity costs, and is there evidence their proposals would work?

    I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't.

    Renter with variable work hours

    Fuel and energy

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • How would the parties' tax plans affect take-home pay for workers on modest incomes?

    I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't.

    Renter with variable work hours

    Tax and public spending

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • What are parties proposing about GP costs and access for working people who struggle to afford an appointment?

    I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't.

    Renter with variable work hours

    Healthcare

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • If rent security and having enough money left each week are my biggest priorities, which party would you recommend I vote for, and what are the trade-offs?

    I rent with my partner and work rostered hours that change from week to week. Our pay can drop unexpectedly, but rent and bills don't.

    Renter with variable work hours

    Housing

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • How do the parties' housing plans differ for first-home buyers rather than existing property owners?

    My partner and I rent, have steady jobs and are trying to save a deposit for our first home. We worry that the target keeps moving.

    Couple saving for a first home

    Housing

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • What do parties propose about investors, land use and building more homes, and how might those choices affect first-home prices?

    My partner and I rent, have steady jobs and are trying to save a deposit for our first home. We worry that the target keeps moving.

    Couple saving for a first home

    Housing

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

  • Which parties propose changes to taxes on property or capital gains, and what could those changes mean for people trying to buy?

    My partner and I rent, have steady jobs and are trying to save a deposit for our first home. We worry that the target keeps moving.

    Couple saving for a first home

    Tax and public spending

    Answered by ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Mode, AI Overviews

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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Town and national answers

    nz-election-2026-towns.csv

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

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

Every table uses the same question and answer ids, so they can be joined. 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 full and coded by hand, or checked against official sources. Those sit on the study page, beside the results they support.