WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Polls closed Saturday after the final day of voting in New Zealand election following a tense campaign which left the main contenders neck and neck with no clear path to victory for either.
An incumbent Conservative government led by the National Party is seeking a second term against a left-wing bloc led by the Labor Party. In polls heading into polling day, neither Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of National nor Opposition Leader Chris Hipkins of Labor had a clear path to victory, with smaller parties on the ideological flanks expected to have influence over the formation of the next government.
Voting began on October 26 and ended at 7 p.m. on Saturday. The New Zealand Electoral Commission aimed to release a 5% vote count within 30 minutes of polling closing.
The results of 95% of the votes cast are expected by the end of Saturday evening. A final, verified count is expected on November 27, including the results of votes cast by New Zealanders living overseas.
Analysts say the fate of the right and left blocs was unclear before the vote.
Luxon, who took office in 2020, faces a hard fight for a second term as Prime Minister after facing two votes of confidence among its own legislators this year. Meanwhile, Hipkins seeks a second chance at power after a resounding defeat three years ago.
Vote started on October 26 with nearly 3.8 million people eligible to vote in the South Pacific country of 5.6 million people. New Zealand has a single house of government and there are no states. The central government, elected for a three-year term, holds ultimate power over the direction of the country.
Before Election Day, analysts saw no simple path to a majority for the right-wing three-party bloc or for a left-wing three-party coalition. The uncertainty could reflect voter dissatisfaction with the two main parties as economic problems persist following international shocks that have rocked New Zealand’s trade-based economy.
New Zealanders do not elect prime ministers. Instead, they voted twice, once for their preferred party and once to select a local representative.
To govern, a coalition of parties must hold more than half of the seats in Parliament. The total number of seats is determined by official calculations on election night, based on the particularities of the country’s voting.
Economic malaise and the cost of living were central campaign themes
National joined forces in 2023 with two right-wing parties, the populist New Zealand First and the libertarian ACT, to form the country’s most conservative modern government. Critics of Luxon, a business executive who entered parliament in 2020, point to his political inexperience compared to minor party leaders in his power-sharing deal.
Both are veteran politicians who have won broad policy concessions from Luxon. The Prime Minister took power promising to boost economic recovery from the pandemic, but unemployment in the September quarter reached its highest level in 15 years.
On Hipkins’ side, the left-wing Greens also enjoyed strong support. Another traditional Labor coalition partner is Te Pati Māori, an indigenous rights group.
Hipkins, a career politician, was promoted to the post of Prime Minister nine months before the 2023 elections when her predecessor Jacinda Ardern to leave. Labor has not gained popularity in the polls since losing that vote, and some critics still associate Hipkins with the pandemic-era policies they opposed.
In the event of an impasse, the parties could be forced to negotiate new agreements
Electoral standoffs have already seen the two blocs fight to establish a coalition deal by courting a minor party that holds the balance of power. Recent polls suggest Saturday’s election could yield such a result if the Opportunity Party is elected to Parliament for the first time.
The group’s candidates are centrist, socially liberal technocrats who favor a property tax, universal basic income and environmental measures. The party’s new leader, Qiulae Wong, 38, who has worked in business but not politics, has pledged to negotiate first with the party that wins the most votes if she takes the tie-breaking role.
Luxon has ruled out governing with Opportunity. Analysts say, however, that both major party leaders would likely answer the phone if Wong held the only path to power on election night.
Gn world
