16 November 2011

Media release

Six Out of 100 Will Decide Their Party Vote in the Polling Booth

A RadioLIVE-HorizonPoll finds four of out 10 voters have yet to make a final decision on which party to vote for in the November 26 general election – and 5.8% will leave it until they are actually in the polling booth.

The last weeks of the campaign could be significant. If there is a 79% turnout of registered electors, as in 2008, this could mean more than 137,000 will be making their party choice in the booths.

While 59.9% say they’ve made up their minds, 23.4% of people aged 18+ say they will be deciding their party vote sometime before November 26, another 8.8% will leave it until the week before polling day, November 26, and 5.8% will decide in the booth.

When the 940 respondents were asked which party they will vote for if an election were held tomorrow, 10.7% were undecided.

Within this group 19.4% say they’ll leave their decision until they are in the polling booth.

At what point will you make your final decision on who will get your party vote? A. Already decided

59.9%

B. Sometime before November 26

23.4%

C. In the week before November 26

8.8%

D. In the polling booth on November 26

5.8%

E. I won't vote

1.9%

F. I am not eligible to vote

0.1%

Results are for 940 respondents between 8am November 7 and 11.50 am November 10, 2011. Results are weighted by age, gender, ethnicity, personal income, educational qualification, and party vote 2008 to provide a representative sample of the New Zealand adult population. The maximum margin of error at a 95% confidence level is ± 3.2%

On the web: www.horizonpoll.co.nz

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