New Zealand holds general election
The gist
New Zealand voters cast ballots Saturday with National and Labour neck and neck in polls.
Neither is on course to govern alone, so coalition talks may decide the government.
How it unfolded
- Jan 21, 2026Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announces New Zealand will hold its general election on 7 November.
- Oct 26, 2026Advanced voting opens, and Luxon campaigns in his Botany electorate in Auckland.
- Oct 29, 2026Opportunity Party leader Qiulae Wong speaks to media after a breakfast with the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce in Lower Hutt.
Key terms
- mixed-member proportional (MMP) system
- An electoral system combining local winner-take-all races with party lists to achieve overall proportional representation.
- electorate
- A geographical area whose voters elect a representative to a legislature.
Source: Wikipedia