New Zealand's ruling National Party has won the most votes in the country's general election but not by enough to form a government without forming a coalition.
Key points
- National Party has been in power for almost a decade
- Labour's Jacinda Ardern is vying to be NZ's third female prime minister
- Early polling puts National ahead but suggests no outright winner
That means New Zealanders may need to wait for days or weeks before knowing who their next leader will be as the different political parties try to negotiate with each other to secure a majority.
With nearly all votes counted, the National Party was leading with 46 per cent, while support for Labour was 35.8 per cent, according to the Electoral Commission.
The nationalist New Zealand First Party had about 7.5 per cent of the vote so far, tipping it as a likely kingmaker.
