Final NZ election result still weeks away as special votes checked

New Zealand's election result is still being worked through as the Electoral Commission warns there is a long list of checks to complete before the final numbers can be confirmed.

The preliminary results released on election night (7 November) were based on the first count of 2,432,403 ordinary votes cast before and on election day.

But Tongan community leader Pakilau Manase Lua says questions about Pacific voter participation remain particularly around access to the ballot and how voting information reached communities.

“There was a bit of voter suppression going on,” he told William Terite on Pacific Mornings.

Pakilau said some people had difficulty registering on election day while others did not realise their EasyVote cards had been emailed and not posted.

“So these little things like that, that could possibly have impacted, but you know, no excuses. People had a lot of time as well.”

Listen to Pakilau Manase Lua's full interview below.

About 400,000 special votes are not yet included. The official count is now under way with election staff checking voting rolls, verifying special vote declarations, and recounting ordinary votes before the final tally is prepared.

“We understand how important it is to deliver timely results, and we also need to make sure they are accurate,” Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne says.

“There are a lot of tasks that need to be completed before we can declare the official results and counting votes is just part of the process. We have staff working around the country in electorates and National Office to complete these tasks as soon as possible.”

Karl Le Quesne says the official count is progressing, with about 400,000 special votes still to be processed before the final 2026 General Election results are declared on 27 November. Photo/elections.nz

One of the checks involves scanning rolls from voting places to identify anyone who may have voted more than once and investigating any cases that are flagged.

Special votes cast around Aotearoa are also being sent back to voters' home electorates to be checked and counted.

Overseas voters have more time to get their votes back. By law, 10 days is allowed for special votes to be returned from overseas.

Each special vote declaration must then be checked, including whether the person who cast it is enrolled.

At the same time, ordinary votes cast before and on election day are being counted for a second time.

Once those steps are complete, special votes that are allowed will be counted and added to the overall tally.

Pacific candidates taking part in Pacific Media Network's election debate, putting their views and priorities to voters ahead of the 2026 General Election. Photo/PMN News

“After all these tasks have been done, we will be ready to count special votes that are allowed, tally the votes and carry out quality assurance checks before we release the results,” Le Quesne said.

The checks are particularly important because the preliminary election-night figures are not the final result.

Pakilau says the final result will also matter for Pacific representation in Parliament as the preliminary count points to more Pacific MPs.

“The representation issue is big because last government, there was no Pacific in that last government.”

He said Pacific communities needed their own voices in Parliament, particularly on issues such as ethnic-specific services and the future of the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.

Watch Karl Le Quesne's full interview with Nemai Tagicakibau on Pacific Days below.

The Electoral Commission says the official results of the 2026 General Election will be released on Friday 27 November.

Voters can follow the progress of the official count through the Electoral Commission's website, vote.nz.

Until then, the election-night numbers remain preliminary and the final make-up of Parliament cannot be confirmed.