An interactive online tool aimed at helping young and first-time voters understand their political choices has returned ahead of the 2026 General Election.
On the Fence uses a game-style questionnaire to allow users to explore major political issues and compare their views with responses supplied by participating political parties. The tool is designed as a starting point for further research rather than telling people how they should vote. Media Release 2026
The initiative is targeting a significant participation gap among younger New Zealanders. At the 2023 election, around one in four eligible 18 to 24-year-olds were not enrolled, while 57 percent of eligible voters in that age group cast a ballot compared with 92 percent of people aged 65 and over. Media Release 2026
Questions for the 2026 edition were moderated and peer-reviewed by Massey University Professor of Politics Richard Shaw, while political parties meeting the project’s inclusion criteria are invited to provide their own responses for comparison with users. Media Release 2026
The project is led by Toi Āria: Design for Public Good at Massey University and developed with Effect. It traces its origins to a Massey student project and was previously developed for the 2014, 2017 and 2020 general elections. Media Release 2026
On the Fence 2026 is now live at onthefence.co.nz, encouraging rangatahi to explore the issues, kōrero with friends and whānau, investigate party policies and make their own informed voting decisions. Media Release 2026
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