New Zealand General Election 2026

What this countdown tracks

New Zealand's 2026 general election, scheduled for Saturday 7 November 2026 under the Electoral Act 1993. Voters elect all 120 (with possible overhang) members of the 55th Parliament under Mixed-Member Proportional representation, with 72 electorate seats and the remainder filled from party lists. The result will determine whether the National-ACT-NZ First coalition government led by Christopher Luxon secures a second term.

About this election

New Zealand has used MMP since the 1996 general election following the 1992 and 1993 electoral reform referenda. Each voter casts two votes — a party vote that determines proportional representation in Parliament and an electorate vote for their local MP. Parties must clear a 5 percent party-vote threshold or win at least one electorate to enter Parliament; the Māori electorates and the South Island formula keep the precise seat total above 120 in years of overhang.

The 2023 general election ended six years of Labour government under Jacinda Ardern (until 2023) and Chris Hipkins. National won 38.1 percent of the party vote and 49 seats, ACT won 8.6 percent and 11 seats, and NZ First returned to Parliament with 6.1 percent and 8 seats. Labour fell to 26.9 percent, the Greens won 11.6 percent, and Te Pāti Māori won six electorates. Christopher Luxon was sworn in as Prime Minister on 27 November 2023 with Winston Peters and David Seymour as deputy prime ministers serving rotating terms under a written coalition agreement.

The 2026 ballot is the first full-term test of that coalition's record on Three Waters repeal, the Treaty Principles Bill controversies, fast-track consents, public-service cuts, and the Royal Commission on COVID-19 lessons learned. Polling through 2025 showed a tight Labour-Greens-Te Pāti Māori versus National-ACT-NZ First contest. Te Pāti Māori's growing electorate footprint and the Green Party's renewable-energy agenda are pivotal coalition variables.

What's on the ballot

All 120-plus seats of Parliament — 72 electorate (including the Māori electorates) and the rest from regulated party lists. The Prime Minister is the leader who can command a majority on confidence and supply. Major issues: the cost-of-living and mortgage-rates story, the Treaty Principles Bill aftermath, the Pae Ora health system unwinding, the climate response (ETS, EVs, gas), the relationship with Australia under AUKUS Pillar Two, and the Reserve Bank's dual mandate review.

Past results

• 2023: National 49 / 38.1%, Labour 34 / 26.9%, Greens 15 / 11.6%, ACT 11 / 8.6%, NZ First 8 / 6.1%, Te Pāti Māori 6 / 3.1%. Luxon coalition government formed.
• 2020: Labour 65 / 50.0% — first single-party MMP majority. Ardern second term.
• 2017: Labour 46, National 56 — Ardern formed coalition with NZ First and Greens.
• 2014: National 60 / 47.0% — Key third term.
• 2011: National 59 / 47.3% — Key second term.

How to follow

The Electoral Commission publishes booth-by-booth results on electionresults.govt.nz from 19:00 NZDT on election night; provisional results are usually clear by 22:00 NZDT, with final official results (after special votes) confirmed roughly three weeks later. TVNZ 1 News, Three Newshub, RNZ and Stuff anchor New Zealand-language coverage; Australian Broadcasting Corporation and BBC carry Asia-Pacific feeds. The Governor-General convenes Parliament after the writ is returned.

Related countdowns

Sit New Zealand's election alongside Australia's federal vote due by 2028, the US 2028 presidential election and the Brazil general election for global incumbency comparisons. Asia-Pacific summit context is set by the BRICS summit in New Delhi.

FAQ

When is the New Zealand 2026 election? Saturday 7 November 2026, with advance voting opening Monday 26 October 2026. Where does the election happen? At polling places across all 72 electorates and at overseas voting locations and consulates. Why does the New Zealand 2026 election matter? It is the first full-term verdict on the Luxon coalition's Three Waters repeal, fast-track law and post-pandemic fiscal reset. What is the threshold to enter Parliament? 5 percent of the party vote nationwide or one electorate seat.