Voting is over and the counting has begun – actually they began counting advance votes from 9 am today, and with almost 2 million of them having been cast before today (3 October to 16 October) we should get results coming in quite quickly.
Electoral Commission: How are general election votes counted?
Counting votes cast before election day
From 9am on election day, we can count advance votes. We count them at secure electorate headquarters across New Zealand.
Counting votes cast on election day
After voting closes at 7pm, we count ordinary votes. The manager of each voting place opens the voting boxes and counts the party votes and electorate votes.
We publish the preliminary count results as they come in
After 7pm on election night, we enter the preliminary count results into our national election results system. We then publish the results on www.electionresults.govt.nz and give them to the media.
Our target on election night is to have:
– 50% of results available by 10pm
– 95% of results available by 11.30pm.Official count gives the final election results
We start the official count the day after election day. The chief electoral officer declares the official results 20 days after election day.
We need to allow time for counting the special votes, which can come in up to 10 days after election day.
While it already looks obvious Labour will be in a position to form the next government, we may or may not get to find out tonight how much leverage the Greens have, and whether NZ First might also have a say or will miss the cut.
If we have to wait until special votes are counted it could take a couple of weeks, unless Labour and the greens just decide to go ahead and negotiate a governing arrangement anyway.
There will be some interest around some of the electorates, and there may be one or two left in limbo until special votes are counted, but that is very unlikely to change the overall result.
- Estimated eligible population: 3,772,100
- Total enrolled: 3,487,654
- % enrolled: 92.46%
- Advance votes: 1,976,996 (last election 1,240,740)
- % advance votes: 56.69%
Your NZ 
Conspiratoor
/ 17th October 2020One interesting dynamic this election is the number of stoners and deadheads who traditionally have never bothered to vote. For the first time they have been exercised to rock up and cast their vote for weed. And since we’re here hey why not give our lefty mates another go
Patzcuaro
/ 17th October 2020They might explain the increase in Green vote, it doesn’t explain the voters who switched from National to Labour who have driven the result especially in rural NZ.
artcroft
/ 17th October 2020Labour running at 50% based mainly on advanced votes. I can’t see the percentage moving much from now on … so well done Jacinda. She can govern without the Greens 🙂
Corky
/ 17th October 2020Incredible results( so far) for Labour. I believe National must now elect a male to the leadership roll. That way we won’t have an older woman being compared to a younger more loved woman.
Congratulations to all Lefties. This night, and tomorrow, belongs to you. Enjoy.
Duker
/ 17th October 2020Yep . A lot of even electorate MPs from national will be out of work. Some concern even Gerry will lose his seat , but he’s number 2 on list..
Corky
/ 18th October 2020ps- I forgot to thank the media. Their sutble pointers…the odd raised eye brow…the sniggering to repeated looped clips…and leading news items with Nationals latest stuff ups ( not all undeserved) would have lead any young impressionable voter in the right direction.
In three years time the media will be an interesting beast to observe.
Talking of ‘YOUNG’…. there are some old Tory Tuskers who really need to step aside.
Blazer
/ 17th October 2020Looks like a great result for…our country and ordinary people.
Alan Wilkinson
/ 17th October 2020Yes, they’ve got they wanted. Now they just have to live with it. As do we.
Kitty Catkin
/ 18th October 2020We must be thankful that our terms are not four years like the US ones. This will be a very long three years.
seer
/ 18th October 2020Or 5 years like the UK.
Now the important question for Kitty: what did you think of Jacinda’s earrings?
Kitty Catkin
/ 18th October 2020What earrings ? I didn’t bother to watch it on television and wouldn’t have been interested in her earrings if I had.
Fight4nz
/ 18th October 2020Didn’t expect such a rout.
Only hope now is Labour remember they stand for support of labour. In the circumstances we face this is the highest priority. Not feel goods like minuscule contributions to climate change reduction. Too many other threats to focus on like Tiwai, Kinlieth, Methanex, Glenbrook, Marsden Point, the Tourism industry, the education industry.
seer
/ 18th October 2020There won’t be a result from this election published for 10 or so more excruciating days – do more voters want cannabis legalised than not?