New Zealand election results neck-and-neck as final count pending
With 95% of votes counted, the National and Labour parties are separated by fewer than 4,000 votes, and final results are expected after special votes are tallied.
Preliminary results from New Zealand's general election show the centre-right National Party holding a narrow lead of about 3,500 votes over the opposition Labour Party, with just under 30% of the vote each after 95% of ballots were counted. The incumbent Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said his party is "once again the largest party in parliament, and we have a pathway to forming the next government." Labour leader Chris Hipkins called for "common ground" and urged cooperation, noting that neither party is likely to secure a governing majority on its own.
National currently governs in coalition with ACT and New Zealand First, and together the three parties are projected to hold 67 seats, a slim majority in a parliament that is expected to expand to 130 seats because of an overhang. The centrist Opportunity Party is projected to win seven seats, crossing the 5% threshold for its first parliamentary entry, though Luxon has ruled out any cooperation with it.
Special votes, including overseas ballots, will be counted over the next three weeks and typically favor left-leaning parties. The electoral commission expects final results on November 27.