Results to be announced in the New Zealand 2005 General Election

Saturday, September 17, 2005 

The New Zealand General Election
New Zealand
Preliminary Election Results:
Labour NZ First National 40.72 5.84 39.63 Greens United Future ACT 5.07 2.72 1.52 Progressive Maori Party Others 1.21 1.98 1.29 100 % Counted:5 hrs in to the Count Polling Places Counted: 6,094 of 6,094 (100.0%) Total Votes Counted: 2,052,813 Special Votes: 193,348 Official Results
Other Wikinews election coverage:
Date announced for by-election to replace former New Zealand PM Clark Category:New Zealand General Election New Zealand Labour Party announces 'early election' list Results to be announced in the New Zealand 2005 General Election Results of the 2005 New Zealand General Election Polls Closed in The New Zealand 2005 General Election NZ opposition leader admits to fundamentalist contacts New Zealand general election: National, Labour TV debate
Background:
	Wikipedia, Wikinews' sibling project, has in-depth background articles on:
Political parties in New Zealand New Zealand House of Representatives Politics of New Zealand Mixed Member Proportional voting system Previous New Zealand General Elections

There is a little under an hour to go until polls close in the 2005 New Zealand General Election.

Both National leader Don Brash and the Prime Minister Helen Clark (Labour) have already cast their votes.

Nearly three million people are eligible to vote.

Turnout has been strong, and turnout results are predicted to be higher than the 2002 turnout (77%).

Under New Zealand's MMP system, parties must win either an electorate seat or 5% of the party vote to win seats in the 120-seat parliament.

Sources

• "Polling stations report good turnout" — One News, September 17, 2005

• "Leaders cast votes, turnout appears strong" — New Zealand Herald, Sept, 17, 2005