New Zealand's ruling National Party won the largest number of votes in the country's general election on Saturday, securing a comfortable margin over the Labour Party after what had promised to be the most hotly contested race in recent history.
National and Labour had been almost neck and neck in opinion polls, with charismatic 37-year old Jacinda Ardern almost single-handedly dragging Labour back into the race after taking over the party's leadership in August.
National took 46 per cent of the vote, the Electoral Commission said, while support for Labour was 35.8 per cent.
A final tally including overseas votes will be released on October 7.
The results set up the nationalist New Zealand First Party to hold the balance of power and form the next government with 7.5 per cent of the ballot.
Veteran New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has been a minister under both major parties and has not said which party he would favour as a coalition partner. Previously he has backed the party with the largest number of votes.
All party leaders said they would have conversations over the next few days, with some of them already trying to woo Peters on election night.
"I want to acknowledge the strong performance of Winston Peters and New Zealand First," Bill English said in a speech to his supporters.
"The voters of New Zealand have given New Zealand First a role in forming the next government," he said.
For English, who campaigned heavily on National's economic credentials after taking the party leadership last year, the strong showing was a vindication after National crashed to its worst ever election result in 2002 under his first stint as leader.
Opinion polls leading up to the vote had been volatile with two recent ones giving National a near 10 point lead over Labour. National has been in power for nearly a decade.
"Bill English and National have taken the largest number of votes. I've called Bill and acknowledged that," Ardern told her supporters, adding she was planning conversations with both the Green and New Zealand First parties.
"It's not over yet," she said.
Peters sounded buoyant but kept his cards close to his chest.
"We have been strong enough and honest enough with our supporters to make it home," he said.
New Zealand First had "not all the cards but we do have the main cards," he added, saying he would not be rushed into giving any answers immediately.
