THIS is the last opportunity, pre-election, to have a say on the election.
The Wairarapa Times-Age, which will have a photographer out on Saturday and team working on Sunday, will do the round-up with the successful candidate and the ones who didn't make it. Keep in mind, there could be more than one success for Wairarapa, considering the party rankings for NZ First and the Greens.
I believe Wairarapa is the sort of area that can focus on what works for Wairarapa and what a government can do for them, but I also believe Dirty Politics and, lately, the spying accusations will have an effect on this election.
It's not just the accusations; it's how you handle them.
John Key has never looked comfortable as hit after hit is landed against the Government. I think he has done a reasonable job of projecting Kim Dotcom as a clownish and petulant wannabe, but Dotcom has pretty much managed to do that on his own.
Once the Internet Mana Party rolled out "celebrities" Edward Snowden and Glenn Greenwald, Dotcom was always going to look less than average and vaguely ridiculous. The same can be said for Cameron Slater.
So I predict National will take the highest number of party votes, but the concept of ruling alone is completely off the books now. Capitalising on the tarnish on the National Party has not been Labour, but the minor parties - particularly NZ First. Winston Peters has developed a culture of being able to hold off committing to a major party, while espousing policies that seem (to voters) to resonate with practicality. It disturbs me that the public easily forgave the "two wongs don't make a wight" line, which I think sums him up, but there you go.
In Wairarapa (and I'm going to be diplomatic here), the public has responded well to the late-arrival energy of NZ First candidate Ron Mark, respected the campaigning work of Labour Party candidate Kieran McAnulty and enjoyed the solid work put in by National Party candidate Alastair Scott.
Personalities - and hard campaigning work - do count. But on the eve of election, it's now time to weigh up which candidate will work for you as an MP, and what kind of government will do well for the next three years.