How we produced the Scorecard

The six commitments were shaped by Your Voice Matters and the Y’s advocacy priorities. We translated the survey findings into specific commitments so party positions could be compared against clear, consistent requirements. The detailed questions and thresholds set out what counts as a Yes.

We put the same questions to every party and check responses against the published requirements and relevant official evidence. Sources can include an authorised party response, official party policies and manifestos, party webpages, and formal statements by a party leader or authorised spokesperson.

Where official sources conflict, we seek clarification. Parties are given an opportunity to check the factual accuracy of their provisional entries, including their labels. Y Auckland retains editorial independence over the final wording and presentation.

Read the FAQ's below for more information.

Questions about the Scorecard

Does a Yes mean the policy is already in place?

No. A Yes records a commitment to the full published requirement. An authorised party response can count as a formal 2026 election commitment even if the party has not yet published a separate policy. The explanation and evidence show the basis for each entry.

Does a No mean a party opposes every action on this issue?

No. It means the party does not commit to this specific requirement. A party may support other actions or a different approach; the explanation describes its position.

What if a party does not respond?

No response means there is no authorised party answer. Where we identified relevant, verified official policy, we include this information in the explanation. Where no additional policy information is provided, this means we did not identify sufficiently relevant, verified evidence to include. This does not mean the party has no policy or opposes the commitment.

Does the Scorecard assess a party’s whole platform?

No. It compares commitments on these six specific requirements. It does not assess every policy a party has, award an overall score or rank the parties.

Is the Y politically non-partisan?

Yes. We advocate for gender equity and for young women and gender-diverse people to have the power, opportunities and support to thrive. The six commitments reflect these priorities. The same requirements and checking process apply to every party, and we do not endorse a party or tell people how to vote.

Why do some commitments cover ages 15–30 when the survey covered ages 16–30?

Your Voice Matters respondents were aged 16–30. Where a commitment covers ages 15–30, it reflects the Y’s wider constituency and extends the proposed policy coverage to 15-year-olds.

What happens if a party announces new policy?

We will consider relevant new official policy notified to us by midday on Friday 23 October 2026, New Zealand time. If changes are required, a final update will be published on Sunday 25 October. Any changes will be recorded in a dated note beside the Scorecard.

Questions or factual corrections? Contact Anna Beard at anna@akywca.org.nz