In brief
Advance voting in New Zealand's upcoming general election has already seen over 913,000 ballots cast in the first seven days, exceeding the 2023 level of 712,000 and capturing about 24 % of enrolled voters. The surge comes ahead of a full voter turnout target and fuels renewed contests between the National and Labour parties.
More than 913,000 people voted in the first seven days of advance voting for New Zealand’s 2026 general election, a figure released by the Electoral Commission on Monday. The count tops the 712,000 early ballots recorded in the same period in 2023 and makes up about 24 % of the country’s enrolled voters, up from 19 % at the same time last election.
The busiest day so far was October 31, when more than 190,000 people cast their early votes. Daily figures have beat the corresponding days of 2023 for every day of the advance‑voting period.
Although the early‑vote tally has climbed, it is still below the 1.16 million votes that were cast by this stage of the 2020 election.
During the week before the election, about 600 voting places will open each day. On election day, more than 2,300 voting places nationwide will be operational.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of the National Party is campaigning for a second term after taking office in 2023, while former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins leads the Labour Party in a bid to return to power amid worries over the cost of living, growth, jobs and services.
New Zealand citizens or permanent residents who are 18 years or older and who have lived in the country continuously for 12 months at any time during their life are eligible to vote.
Official election results will be announced on November 27.
Radio New Zealand reported that a quarter of all enrolled voters have already cast their ballot, with more than 900,000 people voting by the equivalent date in 2023, compared to about 700,000 then. The report added that 62 % of voters aged 18 to 24 had voted early.
