NZ election poll watch: minor parties gain as Labour and National slide
Despite gains for the Greens and slumps for Labour and National, the overall left-right balance remains largely unchanged.
Six weeks before the November 7 election, a recent 1News Verian poll revealed a shift in public support. National and Labour experienced declines in their popularity, while minor parties saw an increase. The Greens had the highest poll percentage at 16%, marking a record high for them. ACT's support also rose by two percentage points, reaching 11%.
NZ First followed with a 9% increase, while Opportunity dropped by two percentage points to 6%. Te Pāti Māori, a minor party, slightly improved to 1.2%. The combined vote for the right (National, ACT, and NZ First) remained ahead of the left (Labour, Green, and Te Pāti Māori) by a three-point margin. If Opportunity fails to secure a seat and drops below the 5% threshold, the right would likely secure a majority.
Nevertheless, Te Pāti Māori could still be elected to parliament with its 1-2% support in Māori electorates, even if it does not meet the 5% threshold in other polls. Polls conducted since July have consistently shown the right holding a lead or deficit against the left, with the most recent four polls (Curia for the Taxpayers’ Union, Freshwater, Anacta, and Verian) all indicating a three to six-point right lead.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
