Mixed response for two-ticks message

National voters heeded the two ticks message more than Labour voters at the election but their split voting in the Epsom seat ensured the centre-right gained two MPs.

Act leader Rodney Hide won Epsom in a surprise result from National's Richard Worth by 3102 votes. Mr Hide's victory also returned fellow Act MP Heather Roy to Parliament.

Act, National and Labour all gave tactical advice in the seat during the campaign.

National urged its supporters to swing behind Mr Worth, Labour urged its supporters to vote for Mr Worth to keep Mr Hide out, and Mr Hide pushed the message that voters wanting a centre-right government should support him, pointing out that Mr Worth would get in anyway because of his high party list ranking.

The split voting results showed many National voters ignored the party's advice. Only 38 per cent of those giving National the party vote gave their candidate vote to Mr Worth, while nearly 60 per cent opted for Mr Hide.

Labour's advice to its supporters to vote for Mr Worth also largely fell on deaf ears, with only a quarter - about 2500 - doing so. Mr Hide even picked up about 1000 votes from Labour Party supporters.

Mr Hide said the split voting results showed Epsom voters were independently minded and had picked up the MMP system.

The vote-splitting figures from the hotly contested Tauranga seat showed Labour supporters may have tipped things the way of National's Bob Clarkson.

NZ First leader Winston Peters lost by just 730 votes and is mounting a court challenge alleging Mr Clarkson overran the $20,000 campaign spending limit.

Mr Clarkson got the support of 68.3 per cent of those who voted National but a further 18.7 per cent support came from those giving Labour their party vote - representing about 2000 votes. And about 43 per cent of United Future's 1636 supporters voted tactically - and gave Mr Clarkson their support.

Overall, vote-splitting was down considerably from the 2002 election - 28.71 per cent compared with 39.04 per cent.