Retail NZ 2026 Election Hub

Welcome to Retail NZ’s 2026 Election Hub. We have developed this resource as a central hub for retailers to explore election policies, political priorities and proposed changes that relate to, or could impact, the New Zealand retail industry and business environment ahead of the 2026 Election.

Declaration

Retail NZ does not support, nor is influenced by, any political party in New Zealand. Our role, as a sector-wide membership-based organisation, is to advocate on behalf of you – our members – to ensure that your views are heard across the House at the highest levels of government.

The information included within Retail NZ’s Election Hub is collated directly from the parties‘ manifestos, websites and public announcements, and is shared here to enable retailers to consider how party policies might impact the sector and assist retailers to determine who they might vote for on election day.

Retail NZ has included the policies of all parties currently represented in Parliament, listed in order of the number of seats they currently occupy. Additionally, any parties that poll at or above 3% in a political poll during 2026* will also be included underneath, in chronological order of when they met that threshold. Policies are reviewed and updated every Wednesday.

Explore election policies by topic

*Opportunity reached 3% in the 1News Verian Poll on 19 April 2026.

21 January	Prime Minister announces date for the 2026 General Election
6 August	Last day for registration of parties and logos
Midnight, 6 August	Last day for Māori who are already enrolled to change roll types
7 August	Regulated period for election advertising expenses begins
7 September	Candidate nominations open
1 October	Dissolution of Parliament
4 October	Writ Day – the Governor-General issues formal direction to the Electoral Commission to hold the election Anyone who enrols after this date casts a special vote.
Noon, 8 October	Nominations close for candidates
21 October	Overseas voting starts
25 October	Last day to enrol to vote in the election
26 October	Advance voting starts
6 November	Regulated period ends. All election advertising must end. Signs must be taken down by midnight.
7 November	Election day. Voting places open from 9.00am to 7.00pm Election night. Preliminary election results released progressively from 7.00pm on electionresults.govt.nz
27 November	Official results for the 2026 General Election declared
3 December	Last day for the return of the writ

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