New Zealanders head to polls on final day of voting
More than half of New Zealand’s voters cast early ballots in the tightly contested race.
Key points
- Polls opened at 9am Saturday and close at 7pm on New Zealand's final day of voting.
- More than 1.6 million of nearly 3.8 million voters had cast ballots by the end of Thursday.
- Opinion polls suggest National and Labour are neck and neck, with neither able to govern alone.
Polling stations opened at 9am on Saturday (20:00 GMT Friday) and close at 7pm (06:00 GMT Saturday) as New Zealanders vote on the final day of a general election shaped by concerns over the rising cost of living and the wider economy.
Voting began on October 26, and more than 1.6 million of the country's nearly 3.8 million voters had cast ballots by the end of Thursday, according to the Electoral Commission.
Election day blackout rules
New Zealand enforces strict laws banning political talk on election day. The 19-hour blackout, which ends when polling places close on Saturday evening, bars political parties, news outlets and social media users from commenting on likely outcomes, campaign issues or anything that might sway how people vote.
Billboards and advertising must be removed, and the rules also cover bumper stickers, T-shirts and social media profile pictures. Breaches can bring a fine of up to 20,000 New Zealand dollars ($11,000).
The country has strict laws banning any talk of politics on election day.
— Al Jazeera
Close race and results timeline
Opinion polls before the tightly contested vote put the governing centre-right National Party and the opposition centre-left Labour Party neck and neck, with neither on course to win enough seats to govern alone. National is pledging to return the budget to surplus through fiscal discipline while expanding the national pension scheme, and Labour is focusing on the cost of living with promises of cheaper healthcare and transport.
The Electoral Commission aims to release preliminary results from 95 percent of polling stations by the end of election night on Saturday. A final result, reflecting ballots cast by New Zealanders abroad, is expected by November 27. New Zealand holds a general election every three years under a mixed-member proportional system, and voters select a local electorate candidate and a political party rather than a leader.
