Help
Frequently asked questions
The honest answers — who we are, how we stay neutral, where our information comes from, and how to get started.
Trust & independence
Is Arapono politically neutral?
Yes — non-partisanship is the whole point. We present every party the same way, in their own words, and we never tell you who to vote for. We don’t take positions on issues, endorse candidates, or run opinion pieces, and every claim is sourced to an official record you can check yourself.
Do you tell me who to vote for?
Never. Arapono exists to help you understand your choices and feel confident — the decision is entirely yours. Even the personal compass shows where you overlap with each party without picking a winner.
Who is behind Arapono?
Arapono is an independent, non-partisan platform — not affiliated with any political party, candidate, or lobby group. We are working to formalise it as a registered charitable trust with an independent board, so that its independence and governance are structurally guaranteed rather than just promised.
How is Arapono funded — and will it stay free?
Arapono is free, with no ads and no paywall, and we’re committed to keeping it that way. Our model is civic and philanthropic grant funding — not advertising, subscriptions, or selling your data — so the platform can stay open to everyone. We’ll always be transparent about where our support comes from.
Where does your information come from?
Official, public sources — the New Zealand Parliament, the Electoral Commission, Stats NZ, the Treasury, legislation.govt.nz, and each party’s own published policy. Wherever we state a fact or figure, we link to its source so you can verify it. See Our Sources for the full list.
How current is the information?
We keep it current continuously — the news feed refreshes several times a day, and parliamentary and election data is updated regularly. Where a figure has an “as at” date, we show it, so you always know how fresh it is.
What if you get something wrong?
Tell us and we’ll fix it fast. Accuracy is what makes Arapono worth using, so we check every report against the official source and correct it promptly. Use submit a correction — and thank you, it keeps the platform trustworthy.
Using Arapono
Do I need an account? Is it really free?
The whole platform is free, and you don’t need an account to use it. An optional free account lets you track the parties, MPs and issues you care about — but everything essential works without signing in.
I’m new to politics — where do I start?
Right at the top of the home page. Use “Start here” to explore the parties, or take the 3-minute compass to find the issues that matter to you. And if a political word ever trips you up, switch on Explain terms in the menu — it adds plain-language definitions to key words across the site.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes — Arapono works on phones, tablets and computers.
What data do you collect about me?
As little as possible. We use privacy-respecting analytics to understand what’s useful, and if you create an account we store only what’s needed to run it. See our privacy policy for the detail.
Still have a question?
We’d genuinely like to hear from you — questions, feedback, partnerships, or media.
Arapono is an independent platform and can’t help with official or urgent matters. To enrol or vote, use the official service at vote.nz.