WELLINGTON — Nearly 1 million ballots have been cast in the first week of early voting for New Zealand’s general election, the country’s Electoral Commission said on Monday, according to Reuters.
A total of 913,762 votes were cast between October 26 and November 1, according to the commission. That is a 28 percent jump compared with the same period during the 2023 election. The busiest day was Saturday, when more than 190,000 votes were issued.
"Voting has got off to a good start, and there are still six more days to vote," said Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne, according to Reuters.
Around 600 voting places will be open daily this week, with that number rising to more than 2,300 on election day, Saturday, November 7. Early voting lets people cast a ballot before election day at a wider range of places and times, and its growth has changed how campaigns plan their final week, because a large share of the result is already decided before the last days of campaigning.
The strong early turnout comes despite new rules introduced by the government that ended enrolment 13 days before the election. Critics have argued the earlier cut-off could put people off taking part, because voters who miss the deadline cannot enrol and then vote in the usual way. Supporters of early voting say the numbers so far show voters are still turning out in large numbers.
Latest polls still show no clear winner or coalition grouping in the tightly contested election, according to Reuters. New Zealand elects its Parliament under a proportional system, so governments are usually coalitions or agreements between parties, and small shifts in party support in the final week can change which combinations are possible.
Election officials will keep publishing daily early-vote totals this week. The final result will depend on turnout on election day itself, on the votes of New Zealanders overseas, and on special votes that are counted after election day. For now, the commission’s message is simple: voting places are open, and there are still six days left to vote early.
The commission has urged anyone who has moved house, changed their name or turned 18 since the last election to check their enrolment details as soon as possible, even though the enrolment deadline for this election has now passed for new voters. Voting places will publish their final hours this week, and employers are required to let staff take time to vote on election day if they have not already voted early. Party leaders are expected to spend the final days travelling between the largest cities and the closest regional contests, while advance-vote centres stay open late in several main centres.
