Each-way voters sway results, figures show

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

Just over 39 per cent of voters split their vote in this year's election, the third under the two-vote MMP system.

And vote-splitting had an effect on the results in some key electorates.

This year's figure is an increase on the previous election three years ago, when 35.03 per cent of voters split their vote, according to Chief Electoral Office figures issued yesterday.

In the first MMP election, 37 per cent of voters split their vote.

Of the parties represented in Parliament, supporters of New Zealand First were most likely to cast their electoral vote for a candidate from another party.

However, the party fielded candidates in only 22 of the 69 electorates, so New Zealand First voters in most electorates had no choice but to vote for a candidate from another party.

Next highest was Act. Of those who gave Act their party vote, 76.14 per cent gave their electoral vote to non-Act candidates.

Only three parties - Labour, National and Christian Heritage - fielded candidates in all 69 electorates last election.

The percentages of party supporters who split their votes are:

* New Zealand First - 78.28 per cent.

* Act - 76.14 per cent.

* Progressive Coalition - 72.43 per cent.

* United Future - 68.60 per cent.

* Green - 60 .2 per cent.

* Labour - 19.99 per cent.

* National - 18.21 per cent.

Among parties that did not get into Parliament, the vote-split figures were: Alliance, 70.5 per cent; Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis, 94.29 per cent; Christian Heritage, 47.5 per cent; and Mana Maori Movement, 61.57 per cent.

Outdoor Recreation New Zealand and New Millennium Party were list-only parties, and therefore had a 100 per cent rate of vote-splitting.

The figures also give an electorate breakdown.

The Ohariu Belmont figures show why United Future leader Peter Dunne won so convincingly - 57.33 per cent of people who gave National their party vote supported him as the electorate MP, as did 46.87 per cent of Labour voters, 62.81 of Act voters and 60.34 of New Zealand First voters.

A lot of tactical voting also occurred in Waitakere in support of Alliance leader Laila Harre, but not enough to win her the seat from Labour's Lynne Pillay.

Laila Harre won backing from 17.42 per cent of Act voters, 50.18 per cent of Green Party voters, 22.35 per cent of Jim Anderton's Progressive Coalition voters; 26.87 per cent of Labour voters, 21.75 per cent of New Zealand First voters and 17.8 per cent of National voters.

More surprising is the fact that she attracted only 84.86 per cent of those who gave the Alliance their party vote.

In Epsom, sitting National MP Richard Worth won the electorate vote of 50.63 per cent of Act party voters, but Act candidate Rodney Hide won just 19.4 per cent of people who gave National their party vote.

* Under MMP, each elector has two votes - one for the electorate MP and one for the political party.

The percentage of party votes cast nationally determines the number of MPs each party has in Parliament, once it passes the minimum 5 per cent of the party vote.

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