New Zealand’s last two elections produced sharply different results.
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New Zealand’s last two elections produced sharply different results. Ahead of Election 2026, Webfit News asks readers whether they would back the same party again.
By Webfit News
When you voted in 2023, you made a choice about the future you wanted for New Zealand.
Perhaps you wanted a change of government. Perhaps you trusted the party you already supported. Or perhaps you stood in the voting booth weighing up imperfect options and chose the one you believed offered the best way forward.
Nearly three years later, would you make that same choice?
That is the question behind a new Webfit News Community Pulse poll, inviting readers to reflect on their 2023 party vote and whether that party still has their support.
New Zealand’s recent election results offer a reminder that political support is never guaranteed.
In 2020, Labour secured just over half the party vote. Three years later, National finished ahead.
| Party | 2020 party vote | 2023 party vote | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | 50.01% | 26.91% | Down 23.10 percentage points |
| National | 25.58% | 38.08% | Up 12.50 percentage points |
Source: Electoral Commission, official election results.
These figures show a substantial change in the national result. They do not tell us how each individual voted or why they made their decision. But they underline a simple reality: winning support at one election does not secure it at the next.
The smaller parliamentary parties also played an important role in the 2023 result:
| Party | 2023 party vote |
|---|---|
| Green Party | 11.60% |
| ACT New Zealand | 8.64% |
| New Zealand First | 6.08% |
| Te Pāti Māori | 3.08% |
Source: Electoral Commission, official 2023 election results.
For voters reconsidering their choice, the decision extends beyond the two largest parties.
Election results are recorded in percentages. Voters experience the years between elections much more personally.
There is the grocery bill at the checkout. The mortgage payment or rent coming out of the account. The wait for a medical appointment. The search for a secure job, or the effort to keep a small business going.
For parents, the question might be whether their children are getting the education and opportunities they need. For someone approaching retirement, it could be financial security and reliable healthcare.
These experiences can shape how a voter judges a party’s promises and performance.
A person may still agree with a party’s broad direction while feeling disappointed by particular decisions. Another may accept that difficult changes take time. Someone else may have reached the point where they want a different approach altogether.
The question is personal: has the party you supported met the expectations you had when you voted?
There is no single explanation for voting for the same party again.
It might reflect satisfaction with its record, confidence in its leadership or a belief that its policies remain the best available.
Equally, changing parties does not necessarily mean abandoning every belief behind the previous vote. Priorities can change. A policy that once seemed less important can become urgent when it affects your family, income or community.
Then there are voters caught between disappointment and doubt: unhappy with their previous choice, but unconvinced that another party would do better.
For them, campaign promises raise practical questions. What will change? Who will benefit? How will it be paid for? And when will people notice a difference?
Those are questions every party seeking another term, or a chance to govern, should be prepared to answer.
Turnout also changed between the last two elections.
| Election | Turnout among enrolled voters |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 82.2% |
| 2023 | 78.2% |
Source: Electoral Commission.
That was a decline of four percentage points. In 2023, slightly more than one in five enrolled voters did not vote.
The figures do not explain why people stayed away. But they are a reminder that the election conversation includes people who did not participate, as well as those who backed a party.
There are also readers who were not eligible in 2023 and may now be preparing to cast their first New Zealand general election vote.
The Webfit News poll includes options for both groups.
The poll asks about your party vote, rather than your choice of local candidate.
Under New Zealand’s MMP system, the party vote largely determines each qualifying party’s share of seats in Parliament. The electorate vote selects the local MP. Voters can support a party and an electorate candidate from different parties.
You might want to keep your local MP while changing your party vote. Or you might support the same party nationally but prefer a different local representative.
For this poll, think about the party you backed in 2023.
Does it still represent your priorities? Has its performance strengthened your confidence? Or are you ready to consider someone else?
Webfit News is inviting readers to answer one straightforward question:
Would you vote for the same party again?
You can choose:
Yes, the same party
No, a different party
Undecided
I did not vote in 2023
I was not eligible to vote in 2023
This voluntary poll reflects participating Webfit News readers, rather than a representative national sample.
Your party got your vote last time. Has it earned the next one? Have your say:
