New Zealand set for elections on Saturday

ANKARA

New Zealanders will go to the polls on Saturday to elect representatives to parliament from 19 political parties, with the main contest expected to be between Prime Minister Chris Hipkins' Labour Party and the National Party.

Some 3.8 million registered voters will elect lawmakers for the 120-seat New Zealand Parliament, 72 of whom will be elected directly by voters and 48 of whom will be allocated based on political party vote proportions.

According to the election authorities, over 2,300 polling stations have been established across the country, with voting beginning at 9 a.m. local time and continuing until 7 p.m.

“Many people have got out early to vote, but there are still a lot who haven’t, and we don’t want them to miss out," Karl Le Quesne, chief electoral officer, said in a statement.

Early voting in New Zealand began on Sept. 27, and the commission reports that nearly one million votes have been cast as of Wednesday.

The main election contest is expected to be between Prime Minister Chris Hipkins' Labour Party and the National Party, with a total of 19 political parties taking part in the democratic process.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid