By Staff, Agencies

Polling stations across New Zealand closed on Saturday as voters completed their participation in the country’s general election to choose a new government.

Voting began at 9 a.m. local time on Friday and ended at 7 p.m. Saturday, according to media reports. Vote counting started immediately after polling stations closed, Radio New Zealand reported.

Preliminary election results are expected later on Saturday, while the final official results are scheduled to be announced by November 27.

The election features a contest between the ruling National Party and the center-left Labor Party, alongside several other political parties seeking parliamentary representation.

Other major contenders include the Green Party, ACT New Zealand and New Zealand First. Smaller parties, including Te Pati Maori and the Opportunity Party, are also competing.

The election has also attracted new political entrants, including the Free Palestine Party. Its leader, Paul Hopkinson, previously told Anadolu that the party aims to place the Palestinian issue prominently on the country’s political agenda during the election campaign.