Vote counting has begun in the general elections held in New Zealand on Saturday. According to the data announced by the Election Commission, at the stage when 35.3 percent of the votes were counted, the voting rates of the ruling National Party and the main opposition Labor Party were close to 30 percent. The difference between the two parties was recorded as only a few thousand votes.
According to the Electoral Commission's projections, the three-party ruling coalition led by the National Party will be able to maintain its majority in parliament by only one seat.
Uncertainty regarding the future of the government continues in the elections, which are characterized by economic stagnation and voters' dissatisfaction with the two major parties.
David Seymour, leader of the ACT Party, one of the junior partners of the ruling coalition, answered the question whether the current coalition could form a government again, "I think it will take some time for this to become clear."
Left-leaning parties, including the Labor Party, aim for the coalition led by the National Party to become the first government to serve a single term in nearly 50 years.
Since the election results are very close to each other, small parties are expected to play a decisive role in the formation of the new government.
IT MAY TAKE WEEKS FOR THE NEW GOVERNMENT TO BE ESTABLISHED
The New Zealand Electoral Commission expects preliminary results to be announced from 50 percent of voting centers by 22:00 local time (12:00 GMT).
However, due to the final results being announced on November 27 and possible coalition talks, it may take weeks for the new government to be formed.
The mixed-member proportional representation system, which has been implemented in New Zealand since 1996, makes coalition governments common.
In this system, voters vote for both a political party and the parliamentary candidate in their constituency. The parliament has 71 constituency seats and at least 49 party list seats.
In order to form a government, a party or coalition must gain a majority in parliament.
VOTES ABROAD MAY CHANGE THE BALANCES
Special votes, including the votes of voters living abroad and those voting outside the constituency in which they are registered, will not be included in the counting until November 27.
In past elections, it was observed that special votes generally gave results in favor of left-leaning parties, while right-wing parties lost support after these votes were counted.
For this reason, it is considered that special votes can be decisive both in the distribution of seats in parliament and in constituencies where the difference between Labor Party and National Party candidates is small.
ECONOMIC CRISIS WAS THE MAIN AGENDA OF THE ELECTION
It was noteworthy that public support for the two major parties in the elections remained at historically low levels.
It is stated that voters' trust in the major parties in finding a solution to the economic stagnation and renewing the aging infrastructure has decreased.
While growth remains at low levels in New Zealand, which has difficulty recovering from a long economic contraction, the pressure on household budgets continues.
The unemployment rate rose to 5.7 percent in the third quarter of the year, reaching the highest level in the last 11 years.
In addition to the economy, health services, the condition of hospitals and the affordability of housing prices were also among the priority issues of the voters.
Although housing prices have generally stabilized, housing costs remain a significant problem.
MAORI VOTERS' CONCERNS
For the country's indigenous people, the Maori, the government's attempts to roll back past policies aimed at improving the conditions of the community have created an important election agenda.
Maori voters are also concerned about attempts to reduce the influence of the Treaty of Waitangi, one of New Zealand's founding documents, on public policy.
Coalition talks that will begin after the final results of the elections are announced will play a critical role in determining the country's new government.
As the vote count progressed in the general elections held on November 7, 2026, it became clear that the race between the National Party and the Labor Party was neck and neck.
At the stage when approximately 90 per cent of the votes had been counted, the National Party was at 29.3 per cent and the Labor Party was at 29.1 per cent.
It is expected that small parties and the final results to be announced on November 27 will be decisive in the formation of the new government.
