New Zealand braces for knife-edge election: What you need to know
Smaller parties hold the key, with major contenders expected to fall short of the majority needed to govern alone.
Days ahead of New Zealand’s election, polls show 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.
The outcome of the November 7 election could be decided by smaller parties under the country’s unique electoral system.
New Zealand holds a general election every three years under a mixed-member proportional (MMP) system.
Immigration and voting rights are on the agenda too. ACT wants to deport serious offenders regardless of how long they have lived in New Zealand. New Zealand First is seeking to restrict voting to citizens. Currently, the right to vote also extends to legal residents who have lived in New Zealand for more than 12 months continuously.