Auckland (The NZ Today) – Christopher Luxon has sharpened National’s attack on split-voting campaigns, saying people encouraging centre-right voters to give their party vote to ACT or New Zealand First are “trying to confuse” voters in an increasingly tight election.
National confirmed it was behind a complaint to the Electoral Commission over businessman Harry Mowbray’s Split Your Vote campaign, which encouraged voters to back National candidates in electorates while directing their party vote to ACT or New Zealand First.
The website has since been taken down while the Electoral Commission examines whether advertising connected to the campaign was properly authorised.
Speaking on the campaign trail on Saturday, Luxon said National did not want to be associated with the campaign and argued the tactic could work against the outcome its supporters wanted.
He said some people were suggesting that voting for another centre-right party would somehow help National, but warned that could create confusion and potentially alter the make-up of Parliament.
National has continued to push a straightforward **“two ticks blue”** strategy, arguing supporters should give both their electorate and party votes to National.
That position increasingly puts it at odds with its coalition partners.
ACT and New Zealand First have both approved advertising promoting variations of the split-vote strategy. ACT leader David Seymour confirmed his party had authorised an advertisement after being approached for permission, while New Zealand First approved separate advertising encouraging a party vote for NZ First.
Luxon described those decisions as “disappointing”, but said it was ultimately up to ACT and NZ First to decide what campaigns they supported.
The tactical dispute matters because National could win more electorate seats than its party vote entitles it to under MMP.
If that produces an overhang, Parliament can expand beyond its normal 120 seats. At the same time, a lower National party vote could reduce the number of National list MPs returned to Parliament.
That has put particular attention on list-only candidates, including National finance spokesperson Nicola Willis.
When asked whether he was concerned about the possibility of Willis missing out, Luxon did not focus on individual MPs and instead repeated that the election was close and voters needed to understand the consequences of how they used their two votes.
The wider strategic-voting debate has intensified in the final stretch of the campaign.
Seymour has already urged ACT supporters not to switch their party vote to National simply to “play it safe”, arguing every additional ACT MP still contributes to the centre-right bloc.
National, however, insists the calculation is not that simple and continues to argue that maximising its own party vote is the safest route to a National-led government.
Source: RNZ
