Today (Tuesday) 7pm is the deadline for all special votes to be returned for counting with results known no later than
Thursday.
Some 230,000 special votes were cast in the election and these could still prove influential in the composition of the
new government.
If Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons can reverse a 114 vote defeat to National’s Murray McLean in the Coromandel
the Greens will take six MPs into parliament.
This would reduce the seats held by Labour and the Alliance to 60, leaving them one seat short of a majority and
depending on support from the Greens.
Labour however are quietly confident they will gain an extra list seat from the specials which, should the Greens make
it, would restore a Labour / Alliance majority of one seat.
The Greens could also make it if they get six per cent of the special party votes which would lift the party from 4.9
per cent to over the five per cent threshold.
National’s Simon Power had an election night majority of just 68 votes over Labour Party candidate, Craig Walsham in the
seat of Rangitikei which could easily be overturned in the specials.
If Winston Peters loses his 323 vote win in the seat of Tauranga on specials he and five of his MPs would be out of
parliament.
So the election is still not over yet. Special results could be available tonight with some available no later than
Thursday.
Winston and the Greens must still be very nervous.
ends