Key points
- You have two votes under MMP, and you do not have to give both to the same party.
- Strategic voting is already being promoted: Te Pāti Māori is encouraging supporters to vote for its electorate candidates while using their party vote elsewhere.
- If your priority is returning the current coalition, one suggested strategy is to use your electorate vote for the strongest National candidate in your electorate and your party vote for ACT or NZ First, depending on your priorities.
- The two votes serve different purposes: your electorate vote helps choose your local MP, while your party vote determines each party’s share of seats in Parliament.
- The choice is yours: splitting your vote does not guarantee a particular result, but it allows you to use your two votes deliberately to support the outcome you want.
Te Pāti Māori is openly encouraging its supporters to vote strategically this election — including its “one-tick” campaign, urging voters to support its electorate candidates while using their party vote elsewhere.
There is nothing unusual about voters thinking strategically about their two MMP votes. You don't have to give both votes to the same party.
So, if your priority is to see the current coalition parties returned, proponents of strategic voting suggest you consider doing the same.
The strategy explained
Because National's polling is currently well under its constituency seat numbers, party votes for National will not translate into extra list seats. Giving the party vote to a coalition partner ensures those votes accumulate to maintain the current coalition government. The suggestion is to:
· Use your electorate vote to support the National candidate most likely to win your electorate. (Epsom and Tāmaki may be exceptions, where the ACT candidates have a strong chance of winning).
· Use your party vote for ACT or NZ First, if one of those parties best represents your priorities and you want the current coalition government returned.
Why consider splitting your vote?
Under MMP, your electorate vote and party vote perform distinct functions. Your electorate vote helps determine who represents your local electorate. Your party vote determines each party's overall share of seats in Parliament.
That means you may have a strategic reason not to give both votes to the same party.
The question for a voter who wants the current coalition returned is therefore:
Do I want to use both votes for the same party, or could I use my two votes more effectively by helping elect the local National candidate while using my party vote to strengthen ACT or NZ First?
Splitting your vote doesn't guarantee a particular election result. MMP is more complicated than simply transferring votes from one party to another. But the principle is straightforward: if voters on one side are being encouraged to think strategically about their two votes, voters on the other side can do the same.
Make your vote count!
Decide what outcome you want, and use your two votes strategically.
Former National Party MP Maurice Williamson explains the strategy on The Platform:
· Answering listeners questions
See also Peter William’s commentary: Splitting your vote - It’s the only way