Support for MMP steady at 50pct

Support for MMP remains steady with 50 percent of New Zealanders wanting to keep the system, the latest poll shows.

The UMR Research poll, released today, used the same wording as the upcoming referendum on whether to change the voting system. The referendum will be held at the same time as the November 26 election.

The poll found half of those surveyed would keep MMP, up 1 percent from February last year, while 40 percent wanted a change, down 2 percent. Ten percent did not know.

The findings are consistent with a TV One Colmar Brunton poll released in December, which found 50 percent were in favour of keeping MMP, 41 percent were opposed and 9 percent hadn't made up their minds.

The UMR survey found support for MMP was strongest amongst under 30-year-olds, at 64 percent, and in Wellington, at 64 percent.

Support for MMP was lowest among rural people, at 38 percent, and over 60-year-olds, at 40 percent.

The survey also asked which voting system people would choose if MMP was dumped, a question that will also be asked in the referendum.

The favourite was first past the post (FPP) at 40 percent, well ahead of the single transferable vote (STV) at 17 percent and preferential voting at 8 percent.

The survey also asked whether people wanted MMP kept as it is, changed, or replaced.

Some 68 percent either wanted it to be changed or dumped, with half those opting to switch completely and the other half wanting some changes.

The number of people wanting to retain MMP in its current form increased by 3 percent since February last year, to 26 percent.

Campaign for MMP spokeswoman Sandra Grey said the survey showed New Zealanders clearly wanted a real choice in how they elect MPs.

"They don't want their votes to be wasted, as they were before the public switched to MMP," she said.

"Voters who want to make MMP work even better will get the chance to do so. If a majority of people vote to keep MMP, it automatically triggers an independent review of the system, so we can have a fresh look at how MMP is working but not throw the baby out with the bathwater."

The UMR survey of 750 people aged 18 years and over was conducted over two weeks from April 28 to May 3, and had a margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level of 3.6 percent.