ABRAnews Open the whole story. Sign in
World

New Zealand's election is too close to call as ruling coalition holds slim lead

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says National has a path to government, but special votes, which have historically favored the left, are still to be counted.

13 news outlets reported this · Little coverage from conservative outlets
Liberal5 outletsWeeks of uncertainty as special votes loomCenter7 outletsDeadlocked race and a disillusioned electorateConservative1 outletConservative bloc's slim, precarious lead
ABRAnews EditorialPublished 1 min read
Overview

New Zealanders voted in a general election that ended on Saturday, and the result is too close to call. With the large majority of votes counted, neither the right nor the left has a clear win. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's National party and its partners, ACT and New Zealand First, are projected to hold 67 seats, a very thin majority.

National and Labour, led by Chris Hipkins, are close to each other in the party vote. The centrist Opportunity Party, led by Qiulae Wong, crossed the threshold to enter parliament and is projected to win seven seats. It would be the party's first time in parliament.

Luxon did not claim victory. He said National has "a pathway to forming the next government" but the result is "too close to call." Hipkins did not concede and said it may take longer to work out what voters said.

Special votes, including ballots from New Zealanders abroad, are not yet counted and have historically favored left-leaning parties. Final results are due Nov. 27. Several senior National figures, including Finance Minister Nicola Willis, are set to lose their seats, according to the Boston Globe and the Guardian.

The Boston Globe and Deutsche Welle report that Luxon has ruled out governing with Opportunity. Luxon said caretaker conventions apply in the meantime.

Key figures
  • 67 seatsprojected for the National-ACT-New Zealand First coalitionDeutsche Welle
  • seven seatsprojected for the Opportunity PartyAl Jazeera English
  • approximately 399,000special votes still to be checked and counted, per the Electoral CommissionNewsweek
  • nearly 3.8 millionpeople eligible to voteThe Boston Globe

Three sides of the story

5Liberal7Center1Conservative

13 news outlets reported this · Little coverage from conservative outlets

Tap a color or swipe sideways to switch sides.

Liberal5 outlets

Weeks of uncertainty as special votes loom

The Boston Globe leads with a "slim lead" for the conservative bloc in a race it calls too close to call. It notes that special votes have historically skewed left and that senior National figures, including Finance Minister Nicola Willis, appear headed out of parliament. The Guardian frames the outcome as a possible weeks-long wait, explains that special votes include overseas ballots, and describes how National's electorate wins create extra "overhang" seats.

It quotes Luxon saying caretaker conventions apply. Al Jazeera reports the two main parties "neck and neck" and quotes former MP Peter Dunne, who calls the contest "much more of a cost-of-living election." Dunne says Opportunity has been "one of the big stars of this campaign."

Al Jazeera's short companion item carries Luxon's claim of a pathway to government. The Globe, the Guardian and Al Jazeera all quote Hipkins saying New Zealand has spoken and it may take longer to understand what it said.

Center7 outlets

Deadlocked race and a disillusioned electorate

Deutsche Welle calls the main parties "effectively deadlocked," puts National about 3,500 votes ahead of Labour, and notes that Luxon has ruled out working with Opportunity. Newsweek says Labour narrowly led the party vote, 29.36 to 29.21 percent, while the coalition holds a razor-thin majority. It adds that about 399,000 special votes remain to be counted and sets out late polls.

Euronews reports an early count, with just over 42% counted, that had Labour edging ahead, after a campaign centred on cost of living. The BBC takes a wider view. It opens in foggy Wellington with voters describing "apathy and a bit of dread."

It cites unemployment at an 11-year high and about 180 people leaving the country every day. It asks whether the next government can win over disillusioned voters.

Conservative1 outlet

Conservative bloc's slim, precarious lead

The Washington Times runs a report that puts a "slim lead" for the conservative bloc in its headline, over a New Zealand election it calls "still too close to call." It says neither the left nor the right had won outright once more than 95% of votes were counted. The governing conservatives were close to a very narrow majority that could keep them in power on a fragile footing.

What a side did not mention
  • Centrist outlets did not mentionSenior National ministers, including Finance Minister Nicola Willis, are set to lose their seats Reported by The Boston Globe, The Guardian
Where outlets disagree
All sources: 17 articles from 13 outlets

Liberal (7)

Center (8)

Conservative (2)