AP: “Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was headed for a landslide win and a second term in office Saturday in New Zealand’s general election. With more than half the votes counted, Ardern’s liberal Labour Party had nearly double the support of its main challenger, the conservative National Party.”
“Labour was on the cusp of winning an outright majority in Parliament, something that hasn’t happened since New Zealand implemented a proportional voting system 24 years ago. Typically, parties must form alliances to govern, but this time Ardern and Labour may be able to go it alone. ‘It’s a landslide that looks like our vote is the best it has been since the 1940s,’ said Labour Minister David Parker. ‘It’s a tremendous accolade first and foremost to the prime minister, but also to the wider Labour team and the Labour movement.’ A record number of voters cast early ballots in the two weeks leading up to the election.”