News by Levels · Level 2 · Student worksheet

Special Votes Keep New Zealand’s Result Open

In this lesson: Explain why preliminary seats can change.

Name: __________________________ Date: __________________

Read the story

New Zealand’s governing bloc has 67 of 131 seats in preliminary election results, Reuters reported on November 9.

Around 400,000 special votes remain to be counted. The Electoral Commission expects official results on November 27, so the final seat distribution may differ from the early count.

Source: Reuters and Electoral Commission, 2026-11-09. https://uk.marketscreener.com/news/new-zealand-s-new-lawmakers-start-to-arrive-at-parliament-as-government-remains-in-limbo-ce785fd2d081f520

Read and practise

1. Why may the final seat distribution differ?

   1. Special votes remain uncounted
   2. The election has not happened
   3. The early count contains only overseas votes

2. What does the word preliminary tell the reader?

   1. The figures are initial rather than final
   2. No figures have been released
   3. The figures are the final certified result

Your turn

Explain why67 seats should be described cautiously.

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Read online: https://newsbylevels.com/news/new-zealand-election-special-votes-final-count-november-2026/level-2/