Qiulae Wong at the finish line of the 11km Traverse Auckland Marathon. (Photo by Dean Purcell/Getty Images/The Spinoff)
Politics

Qiulae Wong’s fun run bib and other enormous scandals from Election 2026

The most ridiculous gaffes, flubs and controversies of the campaign.

Joel MacManus05 Nov 2026
A black-and-white cut-out image of Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Robbie Nicol shaking hands on an abstract orange and blue background.
1m
Politics

How do parties form a government?

Now You Know
05 Nov 2026
A man in the middle of hands clasping
Opinion
Politics

Unity at last: everyone thinks Michael Laws is sexist and gross

Hayden Donnell
05 Nov 2026
Society

Help Me Hera: My boss is obsessed with AI

Hera Lindsay Bird
05 Nov 2026
Politics

One Candidate, One Pint: Michael Wood, comeback kid, on his 'traumatic' political exit

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith
05 Nov 2026
Opinion
Society

What if you genuinely don't know who killed the child?

Ruben Miller
05 Nov 2026
Culture

‘Where the hell is my wicker husband?’: Our thoughts on Wicker

Group Think
05 Nov 2026
Ātea

Naida Glavish on the grandmother who made the ‘kia ora lady’

Liam Rātana
05 Nov 2026
Politics

How a Law-full day on the campaign trail unfolded

The Spinoff
05 Nov 2026

Popular

Three new polls, side by side – and the election story they foretell 

Toby Manhire
04 Nov 2026
1

Unity at last: everyone thinks Michael Laws is sexist and gross

Hayden Donnell
05 Nov 2026
2

Be prepared: The fat voting pen crisis is real and it is here

Hayden Donnell
04 Nov 2026
3

What David Seymour gets wrong about tikanga – and why it matters

Tainui Stephens
04 Nov 2026
4

The lifelong campaign of Chris Hipkins

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith
04 Nov 2026
5

Political leader profiles

Chris Hipkins wearing a jacket, sitting at a table, with pen to paper
Politics

The lifelong campaign of Chris Hipkins

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith
04 Nov 2026
A man looks at the camera
Politics

Christopher Luxon: The Nat with nine lives, or a man on borrowed time?

Veronica Schmidt
05 Oct 2026
Quilae Wong, a 38-year-old woman with long brown hair is smiling at Iain Lees-Galloway, a man with white hair and a white beard.
Politics

Qiulae Wong, the radical moderate

Hayden Donnell
19 Oct 2026
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi smiles while greeting another person wearing a black Māori-branded jacket. Waititi wears a wide-brimmed black hat, sunglasses and a black-and-white varsity jacket.
Ātea

Rawiri Waititi: The hesitant leader

Liam Rātana
29 Oct 2026
A man wearing sunglasses and a jacket is walking towards the camera in an outdoor setting. Slightly behind him to his left is another man, smiling and wearing a rosette. An orange sticker with a wrinkled appearance, saying "Election 2026", is in the bottom left corner of the image..
Politics

Is David Seymour steadying the ship or stirring the pot?

Alice Neville
22 Oct 2026
Winston Peters grinning.
Politics

Winston Peters still wants to be the prime minister

Toby Manhire
16 Oct 2026
Chlöe Swarbrick with former Auckland mayors Phil Goff and Len Brown at the opening of the City Rail Link (Photo: Phil Walter/Getty)
Politics

Chlöe Swarbrick and the weight of expectations

Joel MacManus
12 Oct 2026
Joel's feature images - 8
Politics

An 82-year-old National/Act supporter who is confused about strategic voting

Characters of the Campaign Trail
05 Nov 2026
A black and white photo of Airini Beautrais who is a young woman with long hair. She is smiling. Behind her is a collage of coloured shapes and textures.
Culture

'Bury me with something trashy': Airini Beautrais' books confessional

The Spinoff Review of Books
05 Nov 2026
Uploaded Image
Politics

Who to vote for, based on what you (and they) drink

Lyric Waiwiri-Smith
05 Nov 2026
Uploaded Image
Politics

A stinging rebuke to Donald Trump

Anna Fifield
05 Nov 2026
Henry (2250 x 1350 px) - 29
Politics

Unemployment rises to 5.7% but the problem isn’t just how many, but how long

Henry Oliver
05 Nov 2026
ID is often required for the purchase of 0% beers. Why?
Kai

Why do 0% beer fans keep getting asked for ID?

Chris Schulz
05 Nov 2026
Hipkins and Luxon
Politics

Three new polls, side by side – and the election story they foretell 

Toby Manhire
04 Nov 2026
purple background with a heart shaped frame and an image of a hand on a pool table with a cue and pool balls. plus a bouquet of yellow tulips
Society

Dating Files: A lesbian who mostly just likes going on dates

Dating Files
04 Nov 2026
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Latest podcasts

AL - Cover images - 16

Election 2026! The last-gasp hot-take shootout

Toby Manhire is joined by the Spinoff’s best and brightest for a special pre-election roundtable to recap the good, the bad and the ugly of the campaign so far.

At Large with Toby Manhire04 Nov 2026
Can we really trust the polls?

Can we really trust the polls?

Toby Manhire speaks to Murray Campbell of Research Association NZ about the methods behind political polls in Aotearoa, how fairly the media represents those polls and why Curia withdrew from the pollsters’ association.

At Large with Toby Manhire03 Nov 2026
The blockbuster seat and the Māori vote, with Te Aniwa Hurihanganui

The blockbuster seat and the Māori vote, with Te Aniwa Hurihanganui

Toby Manhire speaks to Te Aniwa Hurihanganui, TVNZ’s Māori affairs correspondent, about which Māori electorates are the ones to watch as the votes are counted this weekend.

At Large with Toby Manhire02 Nov 2026
GONE BY LUNCHTIME - Youtube 16:9

Gone By Lunchtime: Panic stations with a week to go?

A horrific Halloween poll for the National Party has seen Luxon break with the habit of a lifetime and comment on a poll. What to make of it all? And will this be remembered as the 'Opp-erhang' election?

Gone By Lunchtime30 Oct 2026
Chris Hipkins: in defence of incrementalism

Chris Hipkins: in defence of incrementalism

Toby Manhire speaks to the Labour Party leader about bold political statements, education reform and the philosophical teachings of the stoics.

At Large with Toby Manhire29 Oct 2026
New poll: National and Labour are neck and neck with Opportunity decisive

New poll: National and Labour are neck and neck with Opportunity decisive

The last 1News-Verian poll of the campaign has National just slightly ahead of Labour, with Act and NZ First both slipping, leaving neither side able to govern without Opportunity or a significant overhang.

Henry Oliver
04 Nov 2026

Be prepared: The fat voting pen crisis is real and it is here

Hayden Donnell
04 Nov 2026

Can we really trust the polls?

Toby Manhire
03 Nov 2026

Partner stories

Collage of photos showing Mr Morris restaurant, Helen Emett and Tracy Grant Lord
Kai

Where to go for cheap eats in Auckland central – and where to splurge

Emma Gleason
04 Nov 2026
Uploaded Image
Society

Find a way to make it work: Why Aotearoa needs engineering consultants

Toby Morris
27 Oct 2026
Shane Liu at Chom Na Thai Food.
Kai

Nocturnalists: Shane Liu on finding balance and doing business after dark 

Emma Gleason
28 Oct 2026
Uploaded Image
Society

An overworked freelancer asks: Could the right tech setup increase my income?

Greg Bruce
23 Oct 2026
Jack Young at his Auckland bar No. 7
Kai

Nocturnalists: Jack Young knows how to have a good time in Auckland

Emma Gleason
21 Oct 2026
Digital exclusion concept image showing a smartphone and a padlock
Society

‘Constantly seeking access': The young people locked out of a connected world

Naomii Seah
19 Oct 2026
A cut-out illustration of an older car on the road
Society

Where I went wrong buying my secondhand car

Chris Schulz
15 Oct 2026
Chris Parker, Poi Eruera & Emma Gleason enjoying Auckland by night
Kai

What does an ideal night out in Auckland look like?

Emma Gleason
14 Oct 2026
Uploaded Image
Society

A frazzled dad asks: Could a smart home save my sanity?

Greg Bruce
13 Oct 2026
Sophie Gilmour
Kai

Nocturnalists: Sophie Gilmour has a genius tip for a great night out

Emma Gleason
07 Oct 2026

Latest video

A black-and-white cut-out image of Robbie Nicol, next to a diagram of New Zealand parliament with extra some blue seats added.

What is the overhang, and why is it so important this election?

Now You Know
04 Nov 2026
1m
A cut-out black-and-white image of Robbie Nicol holding a card labelled "QUESTIONS ABOUT SPACE VAPES". There is a black-and-white cut-out image of a vape pod next to him.

Space vapes, explained

Now You Know
03 Nov 2026
1m
A black-and-white cut-out image of Robbie Nicol holding up a finger. A fire-danger-style sign is in front of him. Behind him is an abstract orange background.

How much can a politician lie in a NZ election campaign?

Now You Know
30 Oct 2026
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A cut-out black-and-white photo of Robbie Nicol and a hand holding a glass of wine. An abstract pink background.

NZers drinking less booze; doing other drugs more

Now You Know
29 Oct 2026
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Abstract pink and blue background. Cut-out black-and-white images in the foreground of the beehive, a pokie machine and Robbie Nicol.

NZ's new $15m online casino gambling licences, explained

Now You Know
28 Oct 2026
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