The latest research of the Electoral Commission shows the
public’s understanding of the MMP system has declined since
the 1999 election. Similar declines occurred in the year
after the 1996 election.
While 70 percent of the
public know they are entitled to make two votes and 69
percent know the purpose of both votes respondents to the
survey did not fare quite so well with knowledge of other
aspects of the electoral system.
The research carried
out last month showed that knowledge that the Party Vote is
more important in deciding a party’s share of seats in
Parliament has declined from 70 percent at the election to
58 percent. Knowledge of the role of the party list is down
from 49 percent to 45 percent.
The level of
understanding of both the criteria by which a party can
enter Parliament is down from 37 percent to only 26
percent.
However, almost three-quarters of those
surveyed stated some degree of interest in politics
generally (74 percent) and about four in ten voters claimed
to have a ‘great deal’ or ‘some’ knowledge of politics in
New Zealand.
The research showed that females, youth,
Mäori and Pacific Island people continue to have lower
levels of knowledge of MMP than other demographic groups.
The Commission’s Chief Executive, Dr Paul Harris,
said today the agency has begun planning for a comprehensive
public education programme on MMP ahead of the next election
in 2002.
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