KEY POINTS:
Family-friendly policies, the economy and health were the vote-clinching issues for residents we tracked during the year on Auckland's North Shore.
Two people made an 11th-hour swing from National to smaller parties.
The Herald on Sunday chose Nutsey Ave as a sample street of Northcote, a bellwether seat.
Northcote's composition, volatility and voting patterns mirror trends across the country.
Apart from policy, impressions of party leaders heavily influenced their final choice - usually negatively.
Psychology researcher Matthew Shepherd, 36, switched from leaning towards National to voting for the Maori Party.
The latter's social policies fitted more with his thinking, although he would have been comfortable with a National-led government that included the Maori Party.
Rochelle McCaw, 30, also ditched her National sympathies at the last minute, but in favour of the Greens.
A lack of faith in John Key's ability to step up made her put her environmental concerns first.
Dutch immigrant Robin Romein, 34, also voted Green but had been tending that way all year.
After his partner had to wait 28 hours in hospital for urgent surgery, the health system was top of mind in his voting choice.
In general, Romein was looking for the party with the longest-term view.
He liked National's promise of more investment in infrastructure, but was put off by what he saw as Key's chameleon faces.
Cathryn Shepherd, Matthew's wife and a stay-at-home mum with a part-time business, stuck with National.
The 37-year-old considered United Future and the Kiwi Party for their family-focused policy, but her desire to unseat Labour and "out of touch" Helen Clark made her vote National.
Jan Caris, 38, stayed with Labour. As a business owner, he defended Labour's record with small business.
But it was a distrust of John Key and National, especially in troubled economic times, that sealed his vote.
Prashant Pradhan was true to blue, voting National as he had predicted since January. The 33-year-old strategy manager and father believed National would better manage the country through the global economic turmoil.
