Knife-Edge New Zealand Election Leaves Government Hanging on Special Votes
Just 3,650 votes separated New Zealand’s two major political parties as preliminary results from Saturday’s general election pointed to a deeply fractured parliament, according to data cited by ABC News.
More than 2.4 million party votes have been counted in an election that saw Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s conservative National Party win 29.2% of the popular vote, while the opposition Labour Party captured 29.3%, CNN reported. The razor-thin margin left the incumbent National-led coalition at risk of losing its majority after just a single term in office.
New Zealand has voted, and it looks like an MMP special. On the current count, National is once again the largest party in parliament, but with around 300,000 special votes still to be counted, it’s too close to call. To every New Zealander who gave National their vote, to our… pic.twitter.com/AUjkg8lzKe
Neither major party managed to capture the public’s enthusiasm. The Guardian reported that seven in ten voters bypassed both Labour and National, resulting in the lowest combined major party vote in the country’s history at 58%.
Minor parties rise as voter turnout drops
Voters shifted away from traditional politics toward transformationist minor parties. The right-wing libertarian ACT Party and the nationalist New Zealand First Party climbed to 10.9% and 9.8% of the vote respectively, according to CNN.
Millions of people will vote in this election but the party vote margin between the two “major parties” could fit in Auckland’s St James Theatre. As of 9.49pm National is at 29.43% or 528,172 votes while Labour is at 29.35% or 526,730 votes. That's 1442 votes.
The Opportunity Party also made history by crossing the 5% threshold for the first time, positioning itself to potentially act as a kingmaker. Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong told supporters they had voted “to change New Zealand politics for good,” as reported by CNN.
Voter turnout dropped to 74.6%, marking the second-lowest turnout in New Zealand history, ABC News reported. Inflation and economic strains shaped voter dissatisfaction following the COVID-19 pandemic, while global uncertainties tied to US trade policies and Middle East conflicts complicated the coalition’s economic pledges, according to CNN.
The ABC has a live blog on the New Zealand election – read along here: https://t.co/BzLlGDaEAW
Overhang seats expand parliament before final count
National secured more individual electorates than its party vote dictated, creating an electoral overhang that expanded parliament from 120 seats to 131 seats, The Guardian reported. That dynamic left National with 42 seats, which, combined with 25 seats from ACT and New Zealand First, cleared the newly raised majority threshold of 66 seats by a single margin.
Hundreds of thousands of special votes remain uncounted.
The final outcome and the allocation of seats will not be officially confirmed until the final count is finalised on November 27, when special votes are fully tallied.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will the final election results be officially confirmed?
The final count, including hundreds of thousands of overseas and out-of-electorate special votes, is scheduled to be finalised on November 27, according to The Guardian.
Here in Pōkeno encouraging Kiwis to stick with our plan. Our economy is growing faster than the US, the UK, the EU, Canada, Australia and Japan. Don’t put this progress at risk. Party Vote National. pic.twitter.com/XOCeNxtSHX
How many votes separated Labour and National on election night?
Preliminary figures showed a margin of just 3,650 votes separating the two major parties out of more than 2.4 million party votes counted, as reported by ABC News.
What makes the Opportunity Party’s performance notable?
Led by Qiulae Wong, the Opportunity Party won seats in parliament by crossing the 5% threshold, the first time in three decades an outsider party without established political figures entered the legislature under the mixed-member proportional voting system, according to CNN and The Guardian.
For those Australians who were *not* glued to the ABC NZ election live blog (a slightly strangle life choice, but that's OK) here's a summary of where things sit. National in a stronger position to cobble together a government but there's a way to go yet https://t.co/xjxQtnWEpw
Earlier coverage: New Zealand Election Too Close to Call Amid Economic Discontent
More on Qiulae Wong
Worth a look