New Zealand prime minister and National Party leader Christopher Luxon (left) and Tukituki candidate Catherine Wedd speak to the press during a campaign visit in Hastings. (EPA Images pic)WELLINGTON: Voting opened in New Zealand on Monday for the Nov 7 general election, with ballot boxes available for nearly two weeks at shopping centres, transport hubs and community halls, ahead of what is expected to be a closely contested race.
The Electoral Commission said 207 voting places were open on Monday, with that number rising to more than 2,300 on election day. Overseas voting opened earlier, on Oct 21.
The race remains too close to call. Public polling has swung sharply in recent days, underscoring the absence of a clear frontrunner under New Zealand's mixed-member proportional system, where coalition deals are often needed to form a government.
