Electoral Commission Looks Into Harry Mowbray's 'Split Your Vote' Website
Published
The Electoral Commission is investigating a website created by Harry Mowbray, a New Zealand political figure. The website, splityourvote.co.nz, is no longer online. It encouraged voters who wanted a centre-right government to split their votes.
In New Zealand, voters have two votes in general elections. The electorate vote is used to choose a local Member of Parliament, and the party vote is used to decide how many seats each party receives in Parliament. Voting for different parties with each vote is known as split voting. Some people choose to do this because they want to support one party's candidate in their area while backing another party nationally.
The Commission's examination focuses on the website and the message it promoted. Its role is to make sure that elections in New Zealand are fair and well run, and that information given to voters follows the rules that apply to electoral campaigns. The Commission has not yet reached a final conclusion about the matter.
The case shows how much attention election advertising and online campaigns can receive in New Zealand. Voters who want to understand how their votes work can check the Electoral Commission's website for official information about voting rules and how to cast a valid vote.
Sources: RNZ
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