Apparently one out of four voters intends to split their two votes next Saturday. Some voters are starting to understand that they can use their votes strategically to help get the electoral outcome they want.

There is little doubt that National will beat Labour in the total votes cast this election. But despite National's poll dominance, it's unlikely it will reach the 50 per cent mark it needs to rule in its own right.

Even with Act and United Future, there is a possibility that National could fail if its opponents voted strategically.

Helen Clark will try to close the gap between Labour and National. Whatever happens she will rely on the support of the minor parties. People ask me how they can use their two votes strategically to keep a left-leaning government. The following is my advice.

Centre-left voters

Staunch Labour voters will give their electorate and party vote to Labour. But the softer centre-left voters should give their party vote to the Greens.

The Green Party will easily get over the 5 per cent threshold. The Greens are better than Labour on every issue concerning the environment or workers' rights. The more votes the Greens get, the stronger its policies will be in a Labour-led government.

Staunch left voters

There will be a temptation for these voters to give their party vote to openly left-wing parties, such as RAM (Residents Action Movement), the Workers Party and the Alliance (my old party). The combined party vote of these left-wing parties will be less than 2 per cent. That will mean all their party votes they get will be allocated proportionately to other parties that make it into parliament.

Interestingly, that means that half of the staunch left vote will be added to National. If these left-wingers instead gave their party vote to the Greens it would give them another two MPs they wouldn't otherwise get.

New Zealand First supporters

It will take a miracle now for NZ First to get over the 5 per cent threshold given what's happened to Winston Peters. Any of NZ First's soft supporters should now probably throw their party vote to Labour.