From NZ Herald · · 2m
National Party Vote Drops in Every Seat
National Party loses ground in all election seats, especially Auckland.
In brief
National Party loses ground in all election seats, especially Auckland. National Party's vote fell in every electorate seat in the 2026 election preliminary results, with the biggest drops in Auckland. Originally reported by NZ Herald.
National Party Vote Drops
National Party's party vote fell in every electorate seat in the 2026 election preliminary results compared with 2023.
Biggest Drops in Auckland
The biggest drops came in Takanini (15.4 percentage points), Papakura (13.9 points) and East Coast Bays (13.3 points).
National's Lowest Support
National had its lowest party vote support in South Auckland seats: Māngere (11.4%), Ōtāhuhu (15.4%) and Manurewa (16.9%).
Low Turnout in South Auckland
Turnout in Māngere was low with fewer than half of the estimated voting population (23,500 out of 58,000) voting in preliminary results.
National's Party Vote Decline
National's party vote dropped by about 9 percentage points in the preliminary results compared with 2023.
Victoria University Expert
Victoria University associate professor in politics Dr Lara Greaves says National's party vote drop is a warning for the party.
Loss of Senior Ministers
National lost senior ministers Nicola Willis, Chris Bishop and Paul Goldsmith and Speaker Gerry Brownlee.
Loss of Nancy Lu
National lost list candidate and former MP Nancy Lu, who reached out to important communities.
Chinese Community Impact
The Chinese community is a huge group National appeals to, especially among newer migrants.
Auckland's Vote Split
Labour targeted Auckland, having been trounced there in 2023, leading to a return towards pre-Covid mean.
Covid Lockdown Frustration
Aucklanders' frustration with Covid lockdowns weakened over time, causing a shift in voting patterns.
Split-Vote Strategy
A split-vote strategy on the right might have occurred, with more coalition supporters ticking Act or NZ First.
Act and NZ First Growth
Both Act and New Zealand First grew their party vote in East Coast Bays by more than four points each.
Other Electorates
Act and NZ First collectively grew their party vote in Botany, Coromandel, Kaipara ki Mahurangi and Whangaparāoa.
Polling vs. Results
National's preliminary result (29.21%) was higher than polling averages (27.4%) and the Herald's Poll of Polls (27.7%).
Labour's Party Vote Growth
Labour's party vote improved by about 2.5 points in the preliminary results compared with 2023.
The key point
National Party's vote fell in every electorate seat in the 2026 election preliminary results, with the biggest drops in Auckland.
