New Zealand’s general elections have yielded a very close result between the conservatives and the Labour opposition, with a difference of just 976 votes in favor of the latter, although the National Party gained six more seats, with 98.8% of the votes counted.

[New Zealand Votes in General Elections, No Clear Majority Expected: New Zealand’s Labour and Conservatives Have To Negotiate Power After Tied Election](https://www.telesurenglish.net/new-zealands-labour-and-conservatives-have-to-negotiate-power-after-tied-election/)

New Zealand Prime Minister, conservative Christopher Luxon, acknowledged this Saturday that the close result will force negotiations and compromises to form a government.

His National Party obtained 704,196 votes, 29.3% of the total, and 42 seats, compared to the 705,172 votes and 36 deputies projected for Labour, led by Chris Hipkins, who also reached 29.3%, according to provisional data from the Electoral Commission.

🇳🇿#NewZealand – 2026 General Election

100% of votes counted

🔵National — 29.26% (42) Centre-right
🔴Labour —29.31% (36) Centre-left
🟢Greens — 13.3% (16) Left
🟡ACT — 10.93% (13) Right
⚫️NZF — 9.77% (12) Right
🔵OPP — 5.97% (7) Centre
🔴Māori — 0.56% (5) Left pic.twitter.com/FDV0HSa4bV

— crusader 🇬🇧♱ (@real_BaldwinIV) November 7, 2026

“The results are too close to call,” Luxon told his supporters at the party headquarters, at a point in the evening when the conservative National Party was the most voted party. He said a caretaker government would remain in place until the final result is known.

The sum of the National Party, the right-wing ACT, and the nationalist New Zealand First provisionally reaches 67 deputies, one above the 66 needed for an absolute majority, which would allow Luxon to maintain his current governing alliance.

However, the result is still awaiting special votes, ballots cast by voters who cannot vote through the ordinary procedure, for example, because they reside abroad, and the final distribution could vary.

Luxon has indicated that substantial negotiations will have to wait until the official results are published, scheduled for November 27, when these special ballots will be incorporated.

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