New Zealand goes to polls in November: how the country forms its government
Photo: Reuters
New Zealanders will go to the polls on November 7 to elect a new government. The rising cost of living, unemployment and healthcare are among voters’ main concerns. They will elect members of Parliament on the day.
Opinion polls released ahead of the election show no clear frontrunner among the parties or candidates. In the 2023 election, incumbent centre-right Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s party won on a pledge to “strengthen the economy.”
How does the voting system work?
New Zealand holds general elections every three years. The country follows the Mixed-Member Proportional (MMP) voting system.
Each voter casts two votes. One is for a representative in their electoral district and the other is for a political party.
The candidate who receives the highest number of votes in an electoral district wins and becomes a member of Parliament.
Political parties, meanwhile, must secure at least 5 percent of the total party vote to enter Parliament. Seats are distributed among parties proportionally. This means a party that receives 40 percent of the total party vote gets 40 percent of the seats allocated to political parties.
New Zealand’s Parliament usually has 120 seats. Of these, 71 are allocated to electorate representatives while the remaining 49 are distributed among political parties proportionally.
It is rare for a single party to secure an outright majority in New Zealand elections. As a result, parties need to form coalitions to govern.
New Zealand introduced the MMP system in 1996 amid concerns that smaller parties could otherwise be overlooked in election results.
Who are the candidates?
The current government is led by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. His centre-right National Party came to power in 2023 and is governing in coalition with ACT and New Zealand First.
Luxon’s party has focused on economic management, restoring a budget surplus and expanding the country’s retirement savings scheme, KiwiSaver.
The main opposition party is the centre-left Labour Party, led by former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.
Labour is focusing on reducing the cost of living, improving healthcare and transport, and investing in housing, employment and public services.
The National Party’s coalition partners also have their own priorities. The ACT Party, led by David Seymour, supports stricter immigration policies. Meanwhile, New Zealand First, led by Winston Peters, has proposed changes to voting eligibility. The party wants only New Zealand citizens to be allowed to vote in the country.
Another important party in the election is the Green Party. Co-led by Chloe Swarbrick and Marama Davidson, the party is campaigning on issues such as wealth taxes, renewable energy and public services.
Te Pati Maori, which represents the interests of the Maori community, is also contesting parliamentary seats. Housing, healthcare, education and constitutional reform are among its priorities.
What are the key issues?
The rising cost of living is a major concern for New Zealand voters.
An Ipsos survey conducted in September 2026 found that 63 percent of respondents considered inflation and the rising cost of living among the country’s most important problems. Healthcare and hospitals ranked second, with 44 percent identifying them as a major concern. The economy followed at 34 percent.
Concerns over unemployment are also growing. In the same survey, 21 percent of respondents identified it as a major problem. Unemployment has now overtaken the housing crisis to become New Zealand’s fourth most important issue.
When will the election results be known?
Polling stations will open at 9:00 a.m. local time on November 7 and close at 7:00 p.m. Advance voting began on October 26. Voting for citizens living overseas started earlier, on October 21.
Preliminary results will be published gradually on New Zealand’s official election results website from 7:00 p.m. on election day. However, these results will not be considered final or official.
The Electoral Commission is expected to announce the official results on November 27 after the counting and verification process is completed.
If the outcome becomes clear on election night, an initial indication may emerge of which parties are best positioned to form the next government. However, if the race is tight and no party secures an outright majority, negotiations over government formation could take longer.
As a result, New Zealanders may have to wait beyond election night to find out who will lead the country for the next three years and which parties will come together to form the government.
Source: BBC
