New Zealanders head to polls on final day of voting

Polls have opened on the final day of voting in New Zealand against a backdrop of concerns over the rising cost of living and the broader state of the economy. Voting already began on October 26. More than 1.6 million voters, out of nearly 3.8 million in total, had cast their ballots by the end of Thursday, according to the country’s Electoral Commission.

Billboards and advertising must be removed. Bumper stickers, T-shirts and even social media profile pictures are also covered by the law. Opinion polls ahead of the tightly contested election suggest the governing centre-right National Party and the opposition centre-left Labour Party neck and neck, with neither on course to win enough seats to govern alone.

New Zealand’s Electoral Commission aims to release preliminary results from 95 percent of polling stations by the end of election night on Saturday. A final result, which will reflect ballots cast by New Zealanders abroad, is expected by November 27.