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Your Vote 2023: 1News brings you everything you need to know about the election, however, and wherever, you choose to watch it

29th August 2023


Your Vote 2023: 1News brings you everything you need to know about the election, however, and wherever, you choose to watch it 

On October 14th, New Zealanders will get a sense of who could be leading the country next. As voters prepare to head to the polling booths, 1News will have comprehensive coverage and analysis of all the crucial issues that will decide Aotearoa’s direction for the next three years. 

Led by Political Editor Jessica Mutch McKay and the 1News political team, 1News programmes will report daily from the campaign trail as well as covering the election issues that matter to Aotearoa. Te Karere will continue to focus on the political issues resonating with Māori and our news teams across the motu will add local context to this nationally significant event. 

“Your Vote 2023 Election coverage will showcase our commitment to quality, trusted journalism, in-depth storytelling, and nation-wide representation.” says Phil O’Sullivan, TVNZ’s Executive Editor News and Current Affairs.   

Live Debates: 

TVNZ will host five live election debates across its channels and platforms, allowing voters to hear first-hand from the country’s key political parties.   

  • The first live Leaders’ Debate takes place between Chris Hipkins and Christopher Luxon on 19 September at 7pm on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+. Moderated by Political Editor Jessica Mutch McKay, this will be the first-time voters see the leaders of the country’s two main parties going head-to-head in a primetime debate.  
  • The Young Voters’ Debate on 25 September at 7.30pm is hosted by RE: News’ Anna Harcourt alongside 1News Digital’s Isaac Gunson. This online only debate will focus on the unique challenges affecting Gen Z and millennial voters and be live streamed via all Re: News’ social channels, TVNZ+, 1News.co.nz and across 1News social channels. 
  • Exploring the issues that matter most to Māori will be the focus for the Kaupapa Māori Debate on 26 September. Deputy Political Editor Maiki Sherman will be out front for this online only debate, which will be live streamed from 7.30pm via TVNZ+, 1News.co.nz and across 1News social channels. 
  • Q+A’s Jack Tame steps up to moderate the Multi-Party Debate on 5 October, airing 7pm on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+. The final party line up will remain open until the week of the debate due to the timing of TVNZ’s qualifying polls. 
  • The second and final Leaders’ Debate airs just two days before polling day on 12 October at 7pm on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+, led again by Jessica Mutch McKay.   

1News Your Vote 2023: Election Night Special 

1News election night will be a team effort. We will have our highly experienced 1News election team - Deputy Political Editor Maiki Sherman, Senior Political Reporter Benedict Collins, Pacific Affairs Correspondent Barbara Dreaver, Business Correspondent Katie Bradford, Te Karere Political Reporter Te Okiwa Mclean and Māori Affairs Correspondent Te Aniwa Hurihanganui reporting live from across the motu, interviewing political winners and losers as events unfold.  

In the studio will be Chief Correspondent John Campbell, Political Editor Jessica Mutch McKay and Q+A presenter Jack Tame providing up-to-the-minute coverage and in-depth analysis. Former politicians and pundits from across the political spectrum will also be there to react as the results come in. 

1News Your Vote 23 Election Night Special will air at 7pm on TVNZ 1, TVNZ+, 1News.co.nz and across 1News social channels. 1News.co.nz will also have live election results throughout the night, allowing viewers to track the national picture and the outcome in their electorate as it happens. This will be accompanied by extensive analysis.   

Vote Compass:  

Voters can see how their views line up with the parties’ policies using the online Vote Compass tool. Almost 450,000 people used the survey in the last election campaign, giving them an insight into the issues most important to them – and how the parties seeking their votes are addressing those. The tool is once again a partnership between 1News, New Zealand political scientists and global group Vox Pop Labs. It’s backed by the Electoral Commission as a way of driving voter engagement and is delivered in association with the University of Auckland and Victoria University. 

Accessibility: 

Live captioning for Debates broadcast on TVNZ 1 and Election Night  will be provided by Able, TVNZ’s accessibility partner. 

In partnership with Deaf Aotearoa, a New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) interpreted version of both Leaders Debates and the Multi-Party Debate will be broadcast live on Kordia channel 200. This programme will offer Picture in Picture (PIP), with experienced interpreters shown as the primary image on screen alongside TVNZ 1’s live coverage. Signed Debates will be available on TVNZ+ after the broadcast has concluded. These debates will also be provided on Deaf Aotearoa’s website, giving viewers’ choice and control over how they participate.  

The Morning After:  

The morning after the election, wake up and load 1News.co.nz for the latest analysis and information. 1News.co.nz will follow every twist and turn of the post-election developments and explain what it all means. Tagata Pasifika, Q+A and Marae will also have comprehensive coverage featuring studio interviews with key political players.  

From 7.30am on TVNZ 1 and TVNZ+, Tagata Pasifika kicks off the day’s political round-up, followed by a two-hour Q+A special at 8am with Jack Tame. He’ll break down the election’s big stories and interview those in line to form the next government. Then from 10am, Marae will focus on what the election results mean for Māori.