Why It Matters
New Zealand’s election did not give either the center-right or center-left a decisive governing majority. Coalition talks will determine whether Christopher Luxon’s National party can form a government or whether Chris Hipkins must seek support from Opportunity.
What Happened
National won 42 seats, while Labour secured 36. Neither party reached the 66 seats required for a majority among the 131 lawmakers currently projected to have been elected.
Luxon, who leads National, did not claim victory. He will remain in charge of a caretaker government while the parties negotiate an outcome.
Qiulae Wong, who leads Opportunity, said her party could work with either side to form a government. Opportunity entered Parliament for the first time in years and secured seven seats.
Luxon had repeatedly ruled out negotiating with Wong before the election. Based on the current results, Hipkins would apparently need Wong’s support to govern, while Luxon’s conservative bloc would currently hold 67 seats.
Electoral officials began counting special votes on Sunday. The final tallies are scheduled for release on Nov. 27, and a government may not be formed, potentially triggering a fresh vote.
By the Numbers
Saturday — election day
2.8 million — ballots counted on election night
Nearly 400,000 — special votes awaiting counting
Three weeks — expected duration of special-vote counting
66 seats — number required for a majority
67 seats — current projected total for Luxon’s conservative bloc
57 seats — left bloc’s total before special votes were counted
42 seats — National’s result
36 seats — Labour’s result
Seven seats — Opportunity’s result
13 seats — ACT’s result
12 seats — New Zealand First’s result
16 seats — Greens’ result
Five seats — Te Pāti Māori’s result
Zoom Out
New Zealand elections occur every three years. The current parliamentary breakdown includes National, Labour, Opportunity, ACT, New Zealand First, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori.
National’s preferred party vote share stood at 29.21% as of Sunday, compared with Labour’s 29.36%. The country has a population of 5.6 million.
What’s Next
Officials are expected to spend three weeks counting the nearly 400,000 special votes before releasing final tallies on Nov. 27. Until the result is settled, Luxon will lead the caretaker government while party leaders work toward an agreement.
“I think everyone’s over politics so let’s all have a bit of a break for the next three weeks,” Luxon said.