New Zealand election voting closes as tight result looms

Voting in New Zealand’s general election closed at 7pm local time on Saturday, and counting began. Pre-election polls suggested neither the National Party nor Labour might win enough seats to govern alone; preliminary results are expected on election night, with the official result due by November 27.

• Voting began on October 26, and more than 1.6 million of nearly 3.8 million enrolled voters had cast ballots by the end of Thursday, according to the Electoral Commission.· 2 sources
• The National Party and Labour were described as closely matched in polls, with both potentially unable to form a government alone.· 2 sources
• Election-day rules prohibit political commentary that could influence voters; breaches can draw fines of up to 20,000 New Zealand dollars.· 1 source
• The Electoral Commission targeted preliminary results from most voting places on election night; the official result, including overseas ballots, was expected by November 27.· 2 sources