New Zealanders head to polls on final day of voting
Summary
New Zealand held the final day of voting in a closely contested general election, with voters focused on the cost of living and the economy. Polls suggested the governing National Party and opposition Labour Party were tied, and neither was expected to win enough seats to govern alone.Key Facts
- Polling stations opened at 9am Saturday and were scheduled to close at 7pm.
- Voting began on October 26; more than 1.6 million of nearly 3.8 million voters had cast ballots by the end of Thursday.
- New Zealand law bars political comments and election-related messages during a 19-hour period on election day.
- Violations of the election-day restrictions can result in fines of up to 20,000 New Zealand dollars.
- National pledged to balance the budget while expanding the national pension scheme; Labour promised cheaper healthcare and transport.
- The Electoral Commission aimed to release preliminary results from 95 percent of polling stations by election night.
- The final result, including overseas ballots, was expected by November 27.
- New Zealand uses a mixed-member proportional voting system in which voters choose both a local candidate and a political party.
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