HorizonPoll: 50% will vote to keep MMP

50% are voting to keep the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting in
this weekend’s referendum.

39.8% will vote against it, while 10.1% say they won’t vote on this question in the booths on Saturday, according to a RadioLIVE-HorizonPoll covering 2,701 adults.

Should New Zealand keep the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system?
A. I will vote to keep the MMP voting system 50.1%
B. I will vote to change to another system 39.8%
C. I will not vote on this question at the election 10.1%

The most favoured alternative to MMP, if New Zealand does vote to change the system is First Past the Post (FPP) with 24.2% followed by Single Transferable Vote (STV) with 20.9%.

Which of the following voting systems will you choose?
A. I will choose the First Past the Post system (FFP) 24.2%
B. I will choose the Preferential Voting system (PV) 10%
C. I will choose the Single Transferable Vote system (STV) 20.9%
D. I will choose the Supplementary Member System (SM) 15.6%
E. I will not vote on this question at the election 29.3%

The HorizonPoll firstly allowed voters to say “don’t know” when answering if they wanted to keep MMP or change the voting system.

It found 44.1% support for MMP, 34.3% support for change and that 21.6% said they were undecided.
In a subsequent question, when respondents were asked to imagine they were in the voting booth and there was no option to say “don’t know”, the result firmed to 50% for keeping MMP and 39.8% wanting voting system change.

Results when allowed an undecided option:

Should New Zealand keep the Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system?
A. New Zealand should keep MMP 44.1%
B. New Zealand should change to a different system 34.3%
C. I am undecided 21.6%

The survey was conducted between 7.38am Tuesday 22 November and 8.36am Wednesday 23 November, 2011. Weighted by age, gender, ethnicity, educational qualification, personal income and party vote 2008 to provide a representative sample of the New Zealand population aged 18+, the maximum margin of error at a 95% confidence level is +/- 1.9%.
The survey is continuing until electoral law stops polling at midnight Thursday 24 November.