A Radio New Zealand-Reid Research poll released on Thursday saw opposition party Labour sitting at 30.6% and able to form a government with the support of the Greens and Opportunity. In this poll, the ruling National party had fallen to just 24.8% of the vote, Reuters reported.
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A poll released earlier in the week by 1News and Verian poll had National Party sitting at 29% of the vote and alongside coalition partners New Zealand First and ACT possibly had the numbers to return to government.
Polls indicate several overhang seats – where a party wins more electorate seats than their party vote would allocate them so extra seats are added to parliament – will be needed. The total number of seats in the next parliament will be crucial to which coalition can form a government.
New Zealand uses a mixed member proportional system, which tends to favour coalition governments.
