new-zealand

New Zealanders head to polls on final day of voting

New Zealanders are voting on the final day of a tightly contested general election, with more than 1.6 million of nearly 3.8 million registered voters having cast early ballots. Polls show the governing centre-right National Party and opposition centre-left Labour Party neck and neck, with neither positioned to govern alone. A 19-hour election-day blackout bars political commentary, and preliminary results from 95 percent of polling stations are expected Saturday night.