Who won New Zealand’s photo-finish election and why special votes could change everything
The shape of the next government will not become clear until special votes are counted and official results are announced on 27 November
TL;DR
- New Zealand's general election results are unclear, with the final government formation awaiting the count of approximately 400,000 special votes.
- Preliminary results show a very close popular vote between Labour and National, but National won more seats, though neither bloc has a clear majority yet.
- Special votes, cast by those overseas or outside their electorate, often skew left and could impact seat allocation, potentially changing the balance of power.
- The election could result in an 'overhang,' increasing the number of parliamentary seats beyond the usual 120, due to parties winning more electorate seats than their party vote proportion.
- Strategic voting by some parties to create overhang seats is a new tactic that could lead to the largest parliament in New Zealand's history.
- Final results and government negotiations cannot begin until November 27th, with a full outcome potentially known in December.