New Zealand General Election: Voting Concludes and Results Awaited
Voting Closes as Counting Begins
Voting for New Zealand’s general election came to a close at 7:00 p.m. (0600 GMT) on Saturday, and the counting of ballots is now set to begin. As the nation eagerly awaits the results, provisional outcomes are expected to be announced later tonight.
Centre-Right National Party Takes the Lead
Opinion polls suggest that the opposition centre-right National Party is poised to secure the largest share of the vote. However, it is unlikely to secure an outright majority, even with the support of its preferred coalition partner, the libertarian ACT Party.
While the National Party may lead in the polls, the nationalist New Zealand First Party holds the key to power. Although the party was Labour’s coalition partner in 2017, it has declared its unwillingness to collaborate with Labour again.
New Zealand’s Electoral System
New Zealand adopted a mixed member proportional system in 1996, requiring a party or coalition to secure 61 out of Parliament’s 120 seats to form a government. Notably, a by-election is scheduled for November, which will add an additional seat to the equation.
With the election results yet to be revealed, the political landscape of New Zealand hangs in the balance. The decisions made in the coming days will shape the nation’s future. Stay tuned for further updates on this exciting journey of democracy!
