2026 Broadcasting allocation decision
The Electoral Commission has released its decision on the allocation of funding to political parties for election advertising on radio, television and online for the 2026 General Election.
The amount of money available for the 2026 Broadcasting Allocation is $4,145,750 incl GST ($3,605,000 excl GST).
The following table sets out the allocation of money to eligible political parties.
| Political Party | Allocation (inclusive of GST) |
| The New Zealand National Party | $1,079,514 |
| New Zealand Labour Party | $913,435 |
| The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand | $394,438 |
| ACT New Zealand | $332,158 |
| New Zealand First Party | $290,639 |
| Te Pāti Māori | $228,359 |
| Opportunity Party | $114,179 |
| New Zealand Loyal* | $83,040 |
| Animal Justice Party Aotearoa New Zealand | $78,887 |
| Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party | $78,887 |
| Change New Zealand* | $78,887 |
| Conservative Party NZ | $78,887 |
| Free Palestine* | $78,887 |
| NZ Outdoors & Freedom Party | $78,887 |
| People’s Party New Zealand Incorporated* | $78,887 |
| Vision New Zealand | $78,887 |
| Women’s Rights Party | $78,887 |
| Total allocated (inclusive of GST) | $4,145,745 |
| Total available (inclusive of GST) | $4,145,750 |
*These parties are currently unregistered.
Eligibility
The Commission can only make an allocation to a political party if:
- the party gave notice to the Commission by 25 February 2026 that it qualified for an allocation
- the party is registered with the Commission before the start of the regulated period, 7 August 2026, and remain registered at the time of the dissolution or expiry of Parliament for the 2026 General Election.
How the allocation is decided
The Commission allocates the funds using the criteria set out in the Broadcasting Act 1989. This includes:
- votes cast for the party and its candidates at the last general election and any by-elections since then
- the number of MPs a party has
- relationships that exist between parties
- indications of public support such as public opinion poll results and party membership
- the need to provide a fair opportunity for each party to convey its policies to the public.
The full list of criteria and information on how the allocation can be used is available on our website and in Part 6 of the Broadcasting Act 1989.
The Commission may vary the allocation decision under certain circumstances provided for in the Broadcasting Act, for example, if a party fails to register by the start of the regulated period or is not registered at the time Parliament is dissolved.
The Electoral Commission's full written decision for 2026 is available for download below.