New Zealanders Cast Vote on Final Day of Tight Elections as Results Remain Uncertain
Close race after polls close
New Zealanders cast ballots on Saturday, the final day of the general election. Preliminary results released after polling stations closed at 7 p.m. local time showed the center-right National Party on nearly 31%, with Labour close behind at almost 30%.
A final opinion poll published Friday had Labour at 30%, just ahead of National. The contest is considered too close to call, and neither party is likely to win a governing majority. The campaign took place amid high prices for basic goods and unemployment at its highest level in more than a decade.
Voting rules and turnout
New Zealand’s election-day laws prohibit political campaigning and media reporting, aiming to prevent voters from being influenced at the last minute. The rules applied on Saturday as voting concluded.
Advance voting began on October 26. By Thursday, almost 1.7 million of the country’s 3.8 million eligible voters had cast ballots, according to the electoral commission.
Parties and electoral system
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon leads the center-right National Party, while Chris Hipkins leads the center-left Labour Party. Polls also placed the centrist Opportunity Party above 5%, the threshold for gaining parliamentary seats without winning an electorate.
Voters choose both a party and a local electoral candidate under New Zealand’s mixed-member proportional system. Electorate winners enter parliament alongside members selected according to national party vote rankings. Parliament typically has 120 seats, though an overhang can increase that number.
Key points
- Preliminary results put National near 31% and Labour close to 30%.
- The election was shaped by living costs and economic concerns.
- Neither main party is likely to win a governing majority.
- Almost 1.7 million eligible voters had voted by Thursday.