New Zealand preliminary vote leaves unclear who will govern

New Zealanders were unlikely ‌to gain much clarity on Sunday over who will govern the country for the next three years, after overnight results gave the National-led coalition a slim majority, with around 14% of votes still to count. Electoral Commission preliminary results showed coalition partners National, ACT and New Zealand First with 67 of the currently projected 131-seat parliament. Sixty-six seats are needed for a majority.

However, the commission said special votes, around 14% of the total vote, still need to be counted. These votes include those from overseas New Zealanders and people voting outside their electorate and ⁠have historically favoured the left. These will be released with the final count on November 27.

Neither current Prime Minister Christopher Luxon nor leader of the opposition Chris Hipkins claimed victory in their speeches following the election, which has been dominated by talk of a soft economy and the cost of living.