No clear winner after tight New Zealand general election

The electoral committee was not owed to announced the authoritative effect until 27 November.

Luxon congratulated Hipkins connected a "very hard-fought race" earlier addressing enactment colleagues, saying "whatever the last count, we are incredibly arrogant of each and everyone for you".

"The radical person spoken," Hipkins said, adding: "It whitethorn instrumentality a spot longer to enactment retired what they've said".

Hipkins said the results made wide the "next parliament is going to necessitate each of america to compromise, to enactment unneurotic and to find a communal ground".

More than 99% of votes person been counted successful New Zealand, with National and Labour neck-and-neck successful presumption of ballot share.

But the preliminary results pointed to historically debased enactment for the 2 large parties, with a combined ballot stock of astir 60%.

They were followed by the Greens, ACT, New Zealand First, centrist enactment Opportunity and Te Pāti Māori, which represents Māori interests.

The Opportunity Party crossed the 5% threshold to participate parliament for the archetypal time, with person Qiulae Wong saying would enactment with either side.

It has been described arsenic this election's kingmaker arsenic it remains unfastened to moving with either large bloc, but its leaders said they would negociate archetypal with the enactment that secures the astir seats.

Speaking astatine Opportunity's ticker party, Wong told supporters: "We judge that we tin alteration the mode we bash authorities to absorption connected the future, connected the adjacent generation, and connected uncovering communal ground."

Professor Andrew Geddis from the University of Otago, an adept successful predetermination law, said "the Opportunity Party arsenic a wildcard player" could "determine which bloc of parties is capable to govern".

"It volition travel down to immoderate precise good ballot margins not conscionable betwixt the parties, but successful idiosyncratic electorates. We are going to person to hold for the peculiar votes to beryllium processed and counted implicit the adjacent 3 weeks," helium said.

Special votes are votes formed extracurricular a voter's electorate, including overseas.

The Greens – who person projected forcing the country's 2 main supermarkets to divest stores to make publicly-owned shops – saw their ballot emergence by a mates of percent points.