New Zealand General Election Voting Begins... Prime Minister Ardern's Labour Party Likely to Retain Power

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is taking photos with supporters in downtown Auckland, New Zealand.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eunbyeol] The general election vote that will determine the direction of New Zealand's next government began simultaneously nationwide on the morning of the 17th (local time). Voting continues from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the same day.

Along with the general election vote, a national referendum is also being held on the 'End of Life Choice Act,' which allows euthanasia for terminally ill patients, and the 'Cannabis Legalization and Control Act,' which legalizes recreational cannabis use.

In this general election to elect 120 members of parliament for a three-year term, the Labour Party led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, which has consistently held the lead in various opinion polls, is widely expected to fend off the challenge from the main opposition National Party and succeed in securing re-election.

The election results will be released in real time according to the counting process that begins after voting ends, and the results announced on the day are provisional, with the official results scheduled to be announced on the 6th of next month.

The Electoral Commission stated that the results of the national referendum will be announced on the 30th.

The Commission also estimated that about 2 million voters participated in early voting, which began on the 3rd, and explained that the early voting results will start to be counted from 9 a.m. on the day and will be released together with the general voting results after 7 p.m. The total number of registered voters for this general election is known to be about 3.4 million.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.