With some polls picking a close election result - taking account of various permutations of political parties in any new coalition - election strategists have been told one thing they don't have to worry about is the weather on Saturday.
MetService is forecasting sunny conditions, with temperatures slowly rising as people head to the polls on election day.
Spokesman Bob McDavitt said an anticyclone set to be centred over New Zealand on Saturday morning would bring clear skies and light winds, with a frosty start to the day for some electorates in the South Island and central North Island.
Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin are forecast to reach 12degC, and Auckland 17degC. The Far North should be warmest with 19degC, and may get some brief showers in the afternoon.
Until today's forecasts, Saturday's weather was one more uncertainty for campaign directors and politicians.
According to WeatherWatch Centre analyst Philip Duncan, studies in the United States show that in elections there, the Republican Party receives an extra 2.5 percent of the vote for every 25mm of rain above normal - a phenomenon he said had the potential to provide an "interesting twist" in NZ elections.
Similarly, Otago University political science lecturer Bryce Edwards told the Whitireia Journalism School's newswire.co.nz website that bad weather on Saturday could have hurt the turnout of Labour Party supporters.
And political analyst Chris Rudd noted that bad weather could erode the vote for left-of-centre parties, "as those are usually supported by low-income people less likely to have cars".
"The benefits from voting are seen as so little, that any small increase in the cost of voting - getting wet and cold - can put people off," he said.
But Mr Duncan said his own forecast for Saturday also showed a low in the Tasman Sea moving in, but for key electorates, he predicted a 60 percent chance of showers in Epsom and Papakura, and a 40 percent chance of morning showers in Tauranga, before becoming sunny.
The Maori seat of Ikaroa Rawhiti (covering most of the east coast of the North Island, including Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay) was set to become sunny, although there was a 40 percent chance of showers.
Otaki had a 30 percent chance of a shower but at this stage was looking mostly sunny.
"Based on these predictions the weather probably won't have a dramatic effect on any results", he said.
