An RNZ–Reid Research poll ahead of Election 2026 finds the National Party below its 2020 result, while the Opportunity party’s support increases. The poll reports Opportunity rises to 7.2%, described as its highest level in the series, and frames the wider contest around National’s weaker position.
All outlets highlight that National rejects the poll’s findings, saying the result is out of step with other polling. With voting close, Stuff and the other coverage stress the timing and the party’s response, while the NZ Herald pieces focus more on the poll’s headline numbers and live election framing. Differences in emphasis appear mainly in how prominently they foreground Opportunity’s surge versus National’s underperformance, and in how they present the immediacy of voting approaching.
Overall, the reports converge on the same central points: Opportunity gains support to a new high, National is reported below 25%, and National dismisses the poll ahead of the election’s final days.
