New Zealand tallies election results: the two main parties are running almost neck and neck

Too close to call

Vote counting continues in New Zealand's general parliamentary election, and the outcome remains uncertain. As of the time of publication Euronews, Labour led by Chris Hipkins is narrowly ahead of the ruling National Party of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon: 29.71% versus 29.41%, with just over 42% of ballots counted. Luxon and his centre-right coalition are fighting for a second term.

The balance of power and the electoral system

Behind the two leading parties come the Greens with 13.96% of the vote, followed by the National Party's coalition partners — ACT New Zealand (10.63%) and New Zealand First (9.41%). No party on the ballot is expected to win a majority in parliament, meaning coalition negotiations will be inevitable after the final count.

How New Zealanders vote

The campaign, as the outlet notes, focused on the cost of living and the economy. The country's electoral system itself involves two votes: a voter chooses the candidate who will represent their constituency in parliament, and the party they want to see in power. Citizens of Māori descent can choose between the general roll and the Māori roll: for example, a resident of Rotorua who opted for the Māori roll votes in the Waiariki constituency, while one who stays on the general roll votes in the Rotorua constituency; the candidate who wins the constituency becomes the local MP.