# National Party Vote Drops in Every Seat

> National Party loses ground in all election seats, especially Auckland.
- Title: National Party Vote Drops in Every Seat · NZ Herald | Shortify
- Summary: National Party loses ground in all election seats, especially Auckland. National Party's vote fell in every electorate seat in the 2026 election preliminary…
- Keywords: national party, election 2026, auckland, party vote, electorate seats, preliminary results, vote drop, political strategy, NZ Herald
- Source: NZ Herald — https://nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2026-blue-tide-recedes-as-national-party-vote-dropped-in-every-seat-especially-in-auckland/premium/K6LYBP3VHNBQTMAOLM7PWVAP2M
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: national party, election 2026, auckland, party vote, electorate seats, preliminary results, vote drop, political strategy, politics, news
## 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.
## Key takeaway

National Party's vote fell in every electorate seat in the 2026 election preliminary results, with the biggest drops in Auckland.