New Zealand general election results remain too close to call

New Zealand's general election is too close to call, with polling showing a tight race between the centre-right National Party and the centre-left Labour Party.

Polling and campaign

A poll by Infrastructure New Zealand, an industry association, released on Nov 6 put Labour at 30.7% and National at 26.4%. The centrist Opportunity Party was at 5.1%, just above the threshold for representation in parliament.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said, "The only poll that matters is tomorrow night."

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said, "We're banking on being the biggest party in Parliament. I'm feeling increasingly confident of that."

Voting and results

Voting closes on Nov 7 at 7 p.m. local time. Advance voting has been open since Oct 26, with New Zealand Electoral Commission data showing nearly 1.67 million people had voted through Nov 5, more than a third of those eligible.

Results are expected to start coming through on the evening of Nov 7. Political commentators expect it could take weeks for a government to form as parties wait for results to be finalised and terms of coalitions are agreed upon.

Why it matters

New Zealand's electoral system makes coalitions the norm, and the tightness of the race means one or more smaller parties will almost certainly participate in a governing coalition. The Opportunity Party at 5.1% could be the kingmaker in any coalition government.

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Sources

• dw.com: New Zealanders end vote on final day of tight elections
• yahoo.com: Live results: Mississippi Senate election still too close to call
• straitstimes.com: New Zealand election enters final day amid tight race | The Straits Times
• internazionale.it: New Zealand election campaign enters final day with result too close to call - Internazionale

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.