Parties

Explore the political parties standing in this election. Learn more about each party, see key facts and stats, and view their candidates.

NZ First

New Zealand First (Aotearoa Tuatahi) are a centrist, yet socially conservative party. The party has traditionally supported a moderate role for government. It emphasises its ability to be a check on both Labour and National and marry economic moderation with conservative views on gender, indigenous rights and immigration. Led by long-term leader Winston Peters, the party has been in government on four occasions, once with National in 1996, then Labour in 2005 and 2017. It has been in government with National and Act from 2023 to 2026. It is known for introducing the gold card for pensioners in 2008 and supporting extractive industries.

  • Year founded1993
  • Times in government4
  • Current MPs8
  • Number of electorates held0
  • 2025 donations$1,360,272.56
  • 2026 polling average9.7%

Party List

Get across the policies, candidates and parties

Don’t know who to vote for? Policy.nz is the complete guide to the 2026 general election. Compare the parties, candidates and policies to see where you stand.

Policies

Compare the parties’ positions on the key issues this election

Candidates

See the electorate candidates running in your local area

Parties

Learn about each political party, its leaders and candidate list

Things to know...

Your two votes shape New Zealand’s next parliament. You need to be enrolled to vote.

Read explainer
  • Enrol to vote by Sunday 25 October

    You need to be enrolled before you can vote. You can enrol online at vote.nz.

  • Voting day is Saturday 7 November

    Head to your nearest voting place on the day, or vote early from 26 October.

  • You get two votes

    One for a party (the party vote) and one for a person in your area (the electorate vote).

  • Your party vote is the most powerful

    It decides how many seats each party gets in Parliament. That’s what Policy helps you figure out.