Vote Compass is live now at 1News.co.nz\/VoteCompass<\/a><\/p>\n Vote Compass, run by Vox Pop Labs in association New Zealand political scientists and TVNZ, does not tell people how to vote. It shows how their answers compare with the policy positions taken by the political parties.<\/p>\n The 11 Aucklanders were invited by 1News to work through the tool\u2019s 30 propositions, discuss the issues raised and privately view their results.<\/p>\n The exercise quickly moved beyond ticking boxes on a screen.<\/p>\n Thirty questions and plenty to discuss<\/p>\n Voting will be a new experience for many of the students spoken to. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n One proposition asked whether migrants applying for New Zealand citizenship should be required to pass a test on the country\u2019s laws and values.<\/p>\n Matthew, one of the students who gathered in Albert Park for the exercise, questioned how such a citizenship test could be designed.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a hard thing to decide what the country\u2019s values are,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not sure that that\u2019s a test that you could really design and give to migrants as a broad population.\u201d<\/p>\n At the retirement village across town, another proposition prompted a more divided discussion: \u201cPolice should be allowed to order rough sleepers to move on.\u201d<\/p>\n Chrissy strongly disagreed.<\/p>\n Lahraine raised the impact on businesses when people were sleeping or urinating in their doorways.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there are other ways of doing it, though,\u201d Chrissy replied.<\/p>\n The same question prompted a personal response from 19-year-old Sian.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a M\u0101ori wahine, it\u2019s really unfortunate because a lot of the time I see my own people there,\u201d she said. \u201cAt the end of the day, where are they going to go?\u201d<\/p>\n Their discussions demonstrated how a short policy proposition could prompt different considerations, even among people who ultimately selected the same answer.<\/p>\n Voting for the first time<\/p>\n There was plenty to discuss among the retiree voters. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n Several of the students said Vote Compass<\/a> would now become part of their preparation for their first general election.<\/p>\n Lily, 19, said she was excited to finally have her say.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been working since 16, so, like, paying taxes,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Another student said researching political parties could be difficult, particularly amid the volume of information encountered online.<\/p>\n \u201cEspecially for students, with the noise on social media and just random stuff that you see, it can be hard to hear what parties\u2019 policies actually are,\u201d they said. \u201cThis is probably a good tool for that.\u201d<\/p>\n One participant said the questions prompted the group to consider issues they had not previously thought about.<\/p>\n \u201cIt encourages you to reflect on your own beliefs and what\u2019s important to you, and make an informed decision when it comes to voting.\u201d<\/p>\n Decades of political change<\/p>\n The retirees brought memories of changing governments, leaders and political systems to the table.<\/p>\n Their answers also showed that political views are not necessarily fixed over a lifetime.<\/p>\n Lahraine grew up in a farming family in Taranaki, which she described as a strongly National environment.<\/p>\n After moving to Auckland, working in the police and becoming involved in social services, she supported Labour for many years.<\/p>\n How to find out where your views line up with the parties’ policies. (Source: Other)<\/p>\n Chris also described his politics shifting as his circumstances changed.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my early days, I was more centre – still centre, but to the left a little bit,\u201d he said. \u201cThen, as I had my own business and things, you move a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n Chrissy said her result was more politically mixed than she had anticipated.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not blindly red-blue, or green, or whatever,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got your combinations.\u201d<\/p>\n The reveal<\/p>\n After completing the questionnaire, each participant privately viewed where Vote Compass had placed them and explored how their answers compared with the parties across individual issues.<\/p>\n Some found what they expected. Others were surprised by parts of their results.<\/p>\n One student said the result had given them a clearer idea of what to investigate before voting.<\/p>\n \u201cI was a little shocked by some of it,\u201d they said. \u201cI\u2019m definitely going to be doing more research, and this has given me a gauge of where I want to research now.\u201d<\/p>\n At the retirement village, Chris\u2019s result prompted an immediate reaction.<\/p>\n \u201cOh… oh… oh, dear,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n His wife, Jan, looked at the screen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to have to talk about this later.\u201d<\/p>\n (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n![\"Voting](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/vc-launch-young-GCT2QLVD5NEQZBRO34XAWGWR6I.png\")
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