New Zealand's general election has ended without a clear winner, leaving the outcome hanging on 700,000 special votes and potential coalition negotiations. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's centre-right National Party secured 42 seats, while the centre-left Labour Party, led by Chris Hipkins, won 36 seats. Combined with their coalition partners, National projects 67 seats, while Labour and its allies total 63 seats. The final result, including special votes from out-of-electorate and overseas ballots, will be announced on November 27.
Under New Zealand's Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting system, a majority requires 66 seats. The party vote shows Labour with a slight edge at 29.36%, compared to National's 29.21%. The Greens achieved their best-ever national vote at 13.30%, while ACT secured 10.92%. NZ First and the new Opportunity Party received 9.78% and 5.96%, respectively. The Opportunity Party, which could hold the balance of power, has not yet decided which side to support.
Luxon expressed confidence in securing another term, citing his party's mandate with the most seats. However, he acknowledged the need to wait for the final results. Hipkins, meanwhile, stated that the exact shape of the next government remains unclear. The election campaign was dominated by cost-of-living issues and the economy, with the war in the Middle East and global fuel shock impacting New Zealand's trade-dependent economy.
The Opportunity Party, led by Qiulae Wong, could play a decisive role. Wong, a former sustainable-business consultant, has proposed policies like a universal basic income funded by a land tax. Both National and Labour have ruled out adopting these policies. Wong plans to negotiate with the party that secures the most seats after the official results.