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Labour Party leader Jacinda Ardern said the ruling National Party had taken the largest number of votes in the election, but the race was not over yet.
The National Party had 46.1% of the votes with over 97 percent of results counted, while Labour had 35.7% of the votes, according to the Electoral Commission.
New Zealand First had 7.5% of the votes, putting it position to hold the balance of power in the German-style proportional representation system.
Ardern said the expectation was to speak to New Zealand First as quickly as they could.
