New Zealand Green Party candidate Tania Waikato launches bikini campaign to drive voter registration

Green Party candidate Tania Waikato, standing in the Waiariki electorate, rolled out a high‑visibility social‑media drive that featured bikini‑clad women and muscular men. The posts, tagged “bikini baddies and buff bros,” each linked to information on voter registration deadlines and how to shift between the general and Māori rolls.

The campaign attracted between 500,000 and one million views and directed roughly 3,000 people to the official enrolment website, outperforming the election commission’s own outreach. Supporters such as Miss World New Zealand 2026 Zeisha Wood and musician Kingz volunteered for the shoot.

Critics, including National Party MP Shane Jones, denounced the approach as vulgar, while Green Party co‑leader Marama Davidson admitted the style was not her preference but praised the measurable results, saying it engaged voters who normally ignore politics.