Ardern Looks to Secure Second Term Amid Nation’s Cannabis and Euthanasia Referendums

Voting in the 2020 Election officially closed at 7pm yesterday, as voting places throughout the country shut their doors and the nation awaited the results.

The Electoral Commission reported the statistics yesterday, recording 1,976,996 total advance votes including 233,575 cast on Friday, the final day before the election.

That compares to just 1,240,740 advance votes cast in 2017, which accounted for about 47 percent of the 2,630,173 total votes.

A higher number of advance votes was expected this year.

More than 2500 voting places were open yesterday from 9am to 7pm.

Preliminary results was expected to be released from 7pm, with the Electoral Commission expecting results from 50 per cent of voting places to be released by 10pm and 95 per cent by 11.30pm.

Labour, National, the Greens and ACT held events in various locations around Auckland central.

NZ First were in Russell, Northland and the Maori Party was in Taranaki.

Votes in the two referendums on end of life choice and cannabis was not counted last night, and preliminary results will be released on October 30.

Official results of the election and referendums will be announced on November 6.

WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY? WE SPOKE TO THREE TO GET THEIR PREDICTIONS

Richard Shaw, Professor of politics at Massey University: “It will be either Jacinda Ardern governing alone the Greens.

“It’s likely that Ardern will look to make an arrangement with the Greens, even if Labour have the majority in their own right because she’ll be looking to three or six years down the track.” or Ardern governing with

Jennifer Curtin, Professor of politics at University of Auckland: “I think it’s unlikely to be a centre right coalition. ACT is doing well but even if they get 8 per cent, most of their vote is likely to come from National.

“The centre-right might get a combined vote of 40 per cent. Even if the Greens get sub-5 per cent [and therefore miss out on seats from the party list] it’s unlikely that that 40 per cent will be enough to catch Labour.”

Janine Hayward, Professor of University of Otago: politics at the

“I never make predictions (laughs) because you just honestly don’t know. At the last election, when a Labour government was formed, it was National that had the largest proportion of the vote and nearly a majority”.

“I don’t think majority government is something that New Zealanders particularly like [there has never been a majority government under the current voting MMP system, which dates back to 1996]. Yes, Labour may get to govern alone but it won’t be a trend. I think they would still try to have an agreement with the Greens.”