Otago Daily Times News Feed

coffeyflavel.jpg Waiariki electorate candidates Labour's Tamati Coffey and The Maori Party's Te Ururoa Flavell. Tamati Coffey has a slight lead in the race for Waiariki - but his opponent Te Ururoa Flavell says he's still confident of winning.

walker.jpg Hamish Walker and supporters in Queenstown. Photo: Louise Scott National candidate Hamish Walker is cruising to victory in the Clutha-Southland electorate.

We sent our reporters and photographers out to capture all the nailbiting anxiety and nervous tension at the election parties of some of the south's candidates tonight.

metiria_turei_photo_getty_images_57981d3965.jpg Metiria Turei. Photo: Getty Images Metiria Turei's political career looks likely to be over.

gareth_morgan_2_210617.jpg Gareth Morgan. Photo: Peter McIntosh Gareth Morgan says older New Zealanders are "screwing the younger generation".

woodhouse.jpg National party MP Michael Woodhouse speaks to election night supporters in Dunedin. Photo: Gerard O'Brien Labour is comfortably beating National in both Dunedin electorates and looks like turning around last election's party vote losses in Dunedin North and South.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters. Photo: Peter McIntosh. There was no waiting in the wings for NZ First leader Winston Peters tonight - he joined his election night party before the first results have come in.

Have your say on who will be New Zealand's next prime minister in our poll.

jacindastaining.jpg Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clark Gayford spent the day doing some DIY on their Auckland home. Photo:Getty Images Bill English and Jacinda Ardern took some time out ahead of tonight's election count.

As the results start rolling in, some electorates are much more important than others because they will decide if some parties remain in Parliament.

fbelection.png The bar graph was headed "Party leaders discussed in election conversations", and displayed the percentage of mentions candidates were generating. Source:Facebook The Electoral Commission is working through a number of complaints and queries on election day, including a graph made by Facebook.

Clutha-Southland candidate Hamish Walker (second right) with partner Penny Tipu (right) and young National supporters Amelia Freeman and Robert Graham. Photo: Louise Scott National's Clutha-Southland candidate Hamish Walker has arrived for his election night party in Queenstown.

The National Party has shot out to an early lead as results from advance voting come in.

earlyvotes_0.jpg Source:elections.org.nz The number of people who cast an early vote this election hit a record high, with 1,240,740 New Zealanders having their say before election day.

Warmer temperatures are set to hit the country, but the weather is also going to get wetter with warnings in place for parts of the South Island.

a-parade.jpg Blossom Festival prince Jeff Afan holds a Maui fish hook on a Moana-themed float. PHOTO: JONO EDWARDS Thousands lined Alexandra's main street this morning for the grand procession of the 61st Alexandra Blossom Festival.

Two cold remedies are being pulled off the shelves, because they contain black mould.

bluff_sign.png Photo: NZ Herald A Scottish tourist has called a bluff, after pointing out the famous signpost in Bluff is all wrong. 

lima_0.jpg Lima Sopoaga. Photo: Getty Images All Black and Highlander Lima Sopoaga and his partner Miriam have welcomed their first child, a daughter.

Fifteen people have been injured - three seriously - and at least one person is trapped after a crash involving a motorbike, three cars, a van and a small truck north of Taupo.