Split Your Vote campaign and MMP overhang

The story so far

A businessman's Split Your Vote campaign urged right-leaning voters to split their votes between ACT and New Zealand First to create a right-wing MMP overhang.^{1 Oct} Labour leader Chris Hipkins called the campaign a rort and said voters should choose the party they want to lead the government rather than game the system.^{1 Oct} The Electoral Commission ordered the campaign website offline after deeming it an unauthorised election advertisement, and it is investigating the businessman for potential breaches of electoral law.^{30 Oct} National has complained to the Electoral Commission, saying the campaign, which coalition partners ACT and New Zealand First approved, risks confusing voters near the election.^{30 Oct}

Latest

The Electoral Commission is investigating the campaign, and National has lodged a complaint about its advertising.^{30 Oct}

Key moments

1. 1 OctHipkins calls the split-vote campaign a rort and urges voters to choose government.
2. 30 OctCampaign website ordered offline as an unauthorised election advertisement.
3. 30 OctElectoral Commission begins investigating the businessman behind the campaign.
4. 30 OctNational lodges complaint with Electoral Commission over the split-vote campaign.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.