New Zealanders head to polls on final day of voting

Polls have opened on the final day of voting in New Zealand against a backdrop of concerns over the rising cost of living and the broader state of the economy.

Polling stations opened at 9am on Saturday (20:00 GMT Friday) and close at 7pm (06:00 GMT Saturday).

Voting already began on October 26. More than 1.6 million voters, out of nearly 3.8 million in total, had cast their ballots by the end of Thursday, according to the country’s Electoral Commission.

The country has strict laws banning any talk of politics on election day.

The 19-hour election day blackout, which ends when polling places close on Saturday evening, bars everyone, including political parties, news outlets and social media users, 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 of the law can incur a fine of up to 20,000 New Zealand dollars ($11,000).

Opinion polls ahead of the tightly contested election suggest the governing centre-right National Party and the opposition centre-left Labour Party neck and neck, with neither on course to win enough seats to govern alone.

New Zealand’s 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.

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.

Recent polls show no clear winner. A handful of seats either way could decide who governs.

New Zealand holds a general election every three years under a mixed-member proportional system.

Voters do not elect a leader of the country 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 the party based on their national party vote.