MMP maths: How party vote percentages become seats in parliament

Your indispensable guide to counting the numbers on election night. Simon Wilson explains the official way they do it and offers a cheat’s alternative. You vote for a party that doesn’t make it into parliament and your party vote is just discarded? Sorry, it’s true. Your vote is set to one side and not considered … Read more

Make Me Tick: Show us your ballot box, baby!

In the lead up to the election, comedians Melanie Bracewell and Angella Dravid take a journey through the voting process in Make Me Tick, The Spinoff’s four part video series with the Electoral Commission. Today, Angella visits the voting booth. Last night, I forced myself to walk to the post box to submit my enrolment … Read more

Voting from overseas: a dummies’ guide for New Zealanders

Overseas voting for New Zealanders abroad opens today. London-based Kiwi Talia Shadwell explains how to do it – and why you should. Here are some things you can’t do in Antarctica: read Buzzfeed listicles, browse cat videos on YouTube, watch Paddy Gower on TV3. Here is something you can do: vote. This election, the 13 … Read more

Kate Sheppard is back and fed up with your bullshit

The radical reimagining of the suffragette movement, That Bloody Woman, is back for Auckland Live’s International Cabaret Season. Alex Casey spoke to Esther Stephens about her role as Kate Sheppard – and how, this year, Sheppard’s fight is more relevant than ever. The night before the nation votes in this year’s general election, the spirit … Read more

Make Me Tick: Voting – why even bother?

In the lead up to the election, comedians Melanie Bracewell and Angella Dravid take a journey through the voting process in Make Me Tick, The Spinoff’s four part video series with the Electoral Commission. Today, Melanie discovers the value of one vote.  Whenever I talk about voting with my friends, they often say they can’t be … Read more

Make Me Tick: our government is like a toffee pop

In the lead up to the election, comedians Melanie Bracewell and Angella Dravid take a journey through the voting process in Make Me Tick, The Spinoff’s new four part video series with the Electoral Commission. Today, Angella contemplates the branches of government. I went to St Patrick’s School up until the age of 12. I … Read more

Make Me Tick: getting down with democracy

In the lead up to the election, comedians Melanie Bracewell and Angella Dravid take a journey through the voting process in Make Me Tick, The Spinoff’s new four part video series with the Electoral Commission. Today, Melanie gets hyped for the history of democracy.  When Angella and I were told that the first topic we were … Read more

The myth of the missing million

For years left-wing politicians and activists have fantasised about the ‘missing million’ voters, and what they might do to an election if they returned. Danyl Mclauchlan argues that the million aren’t who we commonly imagine them to be. A few days before the 2014 election I ran into the leader of a political party who shall remain … Read more

How Arthur Taylor is taking on the government from prison – and winning

In 2016 notorious criminal Arthur Taylor successfully challenged the government’s blanket ban on prisoners voting in elections. In 2018 the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court’s ruling that the ban is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights, however Justice Minister Andrew Little has said changing the law is currently ‘not a priority’. In 2017 … Read more

Sorry, chattering classes, but in Wellington voters are bypassing the old media gatekeepers

Despite all the headlines bemoaning apathy over local body elections, voter turnout is on the rise in Wellington. Jeremy Baker, communications director at Wellington City Council, sticks the boot into traditional media and trumpets the council’s polarising ‘Declare Your Love’ campaign. Last week Bryce Edwards, the high-profile political commentator and academic, announced he didn’t vote … Read more