WELLINGTON — Nearly a million ballots have been cast in the first week of early voting for New Zealand's general election, the country's Electoral Commission said on Monday, as voters turn out in record early numbers ahead of polling day on November 7.

Source: Reuters

A total of 913,762 votes were cast between October 26 and November 1, according to the Electoral Commission — a 28% jump compared with the same period during the 2023 election. The busiest day was Saturday, when more than 190,000 votes were issued.

913,762early votes cast Oct 26 – Nov 1
+28%vs the same period in 2023
190,000+votes issued on Saturday alone
2,300+voting places open on election day

"Voting has got off to a good start, and there are still six more days to vote," Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne said. Around 600 voting places will be open daily this week, with that number rising to more than 2,300 on election day.

A close race, and a contested rule change

The strong early turnout comes despite the government introducing new rules that ended voter enrolment 13 days before the November 7 election — a change critics argue could deter participation, Reuters reported. The latest polls still show no clear winner or coalition grouping in the tightly contested election, in which Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his rivals are preparing for a close finish.

New Zealand is home to a large Indian and Punjabi community, many of whose members are among the voters casting early ballots this week. The final result, expected after polling closes on November 7, will decide the country's next government and whether coalition talks are needed to form one.

Sources: Reuters (November 2, 2026), reporting the Electoral Commission's figures; AsiaOne's report of the same Electoral Commission release (November 2, 2026).