New Zealand counts votes in razor-thin election after campaign centred on cost of living
In New Zealand, people cast a party vote as well as an electorate vote in a general election. With their electorate vote, New Zealanders vote for a candidate to represent their local electorate in parliament. They also vote for the party they want to be in government.
Early results from New Zealand's recent general election reveal a closely contested race between the two main political parties. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, leading the right-wing National Party coalition, is in a tight race against his main rival Chris Hipkins of the Labour Party. As the election outcome remains uncertain, Labour boasts 29.71% of the votes, while the National Party trails slightly with 29.41%.
The Green Party holds 13.96% of the vote, followed closely by National's coalition partners ACT New Zealand at 10.63% and New Zealand First at 9.41%. Currently, over 42% of the votes have been tallied, yet no single party is projected to gain a parliamentary majority. In New Zealand's electoral system, voters cast both a party vote and an electorate vote.
The electorate vote determines representation in parliament, while the party vote supports the party they desire to govern. Māori voters have the option to select either the general or Māori roll, with the latter determining a vote for a candidate in their local Māori electorate.
Written by urgent.news from Euronews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
