New Zealanders head to polls on final voting day, with more than 1.6 million early ballots cast
Polling stations opened at 9am on Saturday (20:00 GMT Friday) on the final day of voting in New Zealand's general election. Voting continues until 7pm (06:00 GMT Saturday).
Voting in this election began on October 26. According to the country's Electoral Commission, more than 1.6 million voters, out of nearly 3.8 million in total, had cast their ballots by the end of Thursday.
The race is tightly contested, against a backdrop of concerns over the rising cost of living and the broader state of the economy.
New Zealand has strict laws banning any talk of politics on election day. The 19-hour election day blackout ends when polling places close on Saturday evening.
During that period, everyone, including political parties, news outlets and social media users, is barred from commenting on likely election outcomes, campaign issues and anything else that might encourage or discourage people from voting in a particular way.
Billboards and advertising must be removed. Bumper stickers, T-shirts and even social media profile pictures are also covered by the law. Breaches can incur a fine of up to 20,000 New Zealand dollars ($11,000).
Opinion polls ahead of the election suggest the governing centre-right National Party and the opposition centre-left Labour Party are neck and neck, with neither on course to win enough seats to govern alone.
Most parties are campaigning on the economy, but their suggested solutions differ widely. The National Party is pledging to return the budget to surplus through fiscal discipline while expanding the national pension scheme.
The Labour Party is focusing on the cost of living, promising cheaper healthcare and transport.
The 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.
New Zealand holds a general election every three years under a mixed-member proportional system. Voters do not elect a leader of the country directly, but instead select a local electorate candidate and a political party.
Electorate winners earn a seat in the typically 120-seat parliament, as do the highest-ranked members of each party based on their national party vote. Recent polls show no clear winner, and a handful of seats either way could decide who governs.
