New Zealand’s general election on Saturday, November 7, 2026, left no clear winner on preliminary results, according to the Guardian. The incumbent right-wing bloc holds 67 seats on those numbers, but nearly 400,000 special votes are still to be counted, so the New Zealand election 2026 result remains open.
According to the Guardian, National won 42 seats, ACT 13 and New Zealand First 12. The Greens won 16 seats and Te Pāti Māori won five. The Hindu reports that Opportunity, led by 38-year-old Qiulae Wong, won seven seats and will enter Parliament for the first time since the MMP system began in 1996.
On the party vote, The Hindu reports that National won 29.21 per cent, a collapse from its previous result, while Labour won 29.36 per cent. The two outlets disagree on Labour’s seat total. The Hindu says Labour won 36 seats because it won fewer local races despite a similar party vote to National. The Guardian says Labour won 35.
Luxon said the result was too close to call and that National has a pathway to forming the next government, according to the Guardian. He will lead a caretaker government in the meantime.
New Zealanders cast two votes, one for a party and one for a local electorate MP, and the system is designed to reflect each party’s nationwide share. Special votes, including overseas ballots, have historically favoured the left. In 2023, special votes made up 21 per cent of votes and gave Te Pāti Māori and the Greens three seats between them.
Labour’s Chris Hipkins was turfed from office in 2023, largely over economic discontent. Luxon has faced criticism that his dealings with minor parties show political inexperience.
The sources also differ on the size of Parliament. The Hindu says there would currently be 131 lawmakers, with 66 seats needed for a majority. The Guardian says there could be 130 seats in the next Parliament, a record under MMP, with 65 needed for a coalition.
The sources also differ on timing. The Hindu says electoral officials began counting the nearly 400,000 special votes on Sunday, a process expected to take three weeks. The Guardian says the country faces a two-week wait until special votes are announced, followed by possible weeks of negotiations.
Official final tallies are due November 27, and according to the Guardian, party negotiations cannot begin until then. If no government can be formed, New Zealand could face a fresh election.
The figures are preliminary, and no official count has been confirmed. Neither outlet confirms how many special votes remain beyond the nearly 400,000 figure. Labour and Opportunity have not responded on the seat figures, and the Guardian’s estimate that National could gain up to five extra seats through overhang has no second source.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.