All the best (and most questionable) political party merch for election 2026

The useful part

Pop a Labour breath mint or grab your hot pink Act hoodie, it's election season! We're under two months until the election, which means fresh merch is rolling off the production line almost as quickly as policy announcements. For now, here's what's good, what's not and what we'd like to see next year.

How it works

• Regardless of how it's distributed, merch raises questions.
• THE BEST $20 fare cap ($20, obviously), Labour An inspired piece of design and a rare example of a pun that's not terrible, this is a smart, practical way to promote Labour's public transport policy.
• The "vintage wash" suggests years of commuting and weathered caps are cool according to The Wall Street Journal, Jeremy Allen White and your dad.
• <img alt="Labour "$20 fare cap"" sizes="700px" srcset="https://images.thespinoff.co.nz/1/2026/09/Election-merch-labour-mints.jpg?w=70&fm...

Details worth keeping

Volunteers are decked out and web stores are well-stocked (except, that is, in National's case, as the party bucks convention by not offering merch for sale – it's given to volunteers and handed out to voters on the campaign trail). Will it all be in the bin by November anyway?