New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said the country’s November 7 general election will be decided largely by economic issues, as early voting opened on Monday in a closely contested race.
With voters frustrated by sluggish economic growth and persistently high inflation, the cost of living has emerged as a key campaign issue, prompting rival parties to offer competing solutions.
Luxon, whose centre-right National Party is seeking to retain power, said his party had the best plan to boost economic growth and make living more affordable.
“We’ve worked incredibly hard over the last three years … the plan is working, but we need more time,” he said after casting his vote.
Opposition Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins, meanwhile, said he hoped to form a Labour-led government before Christmas and would act quickly to ease financial pressures on households.
Early voting will be available for nearly two weeks at shopping centres, transport hubs and community halls across the country.
Polls Show No Clear Winner
Recent opinion polls suggest a tight contest, with no clear frontrunner under New Zealand’s mixed-member proportional representation system, which often requires parties to negotiate coalition agreements to form a government.
A 1News-Verian poll published on October 20 put National on 32% and Labour on 27%.
However, a Post/Freshwater Strategy poll published a day earlier showed Labour narrowly ahead at 28.7%, compared with National’s 27.6%.
Both polls also indicated that the smaller centrist Opportunity Party could secure enough support to enter Parliament, potentially making it a kingmaker in post-election coalition negotiations.
New Zealand’s Electoral Commission said 207 voting locations were open on Monday, with the number expected to rise to more than 2,300 on election day.
Overseas voting had already begun on October 21.
Multiple Factors Add To Election Uncertainty
Political commentator Gareth Hughes said the uncertainty surrounding this election was unprecedented, with several factors making the outcome difficult to predict.
These include the possibility of both left- and right-wing parties winning more electorate seats than their share of the party vote would normally entitle them to. Such an outcome, known as an overhang, could increase the total number of seats in Parliament.
Hughes also said the emergence of the Opportunity Party had added another layer of uncertainty, alongside dissatisfaction with the two major parties, National and Labour.
Voting began just hours after the electoral enrolment deadline passed at midnight on Sunday, one of the campaign’s most contentious issues.
Critics argue that ending enrolment before election day could discourage participation, particularly among groups that are harder to reach.
New Zealand’s Human Rights Commission said last year that the change was likely to unjustifiably restrict electoral participation and disproportionately affect underrepresented groups.
