After the count: how a government is formed in New Zealand
Coalition, confidence and supply, minority government: what happens after election night, how long negotiations take, and the role of the Governor-General and the writ.
In this guide
Election night tells you who's ahead. It doesn't always tell you who will govern. Under MMP, one party rarely wins a majority alone, so parties have to agree to work together. That can take a day or two, or weeks.
Here's how it works, what the options are, and how long it's taken before.
Quick answer
- A government needs the confidence of the House: support from a majority of MPs.
- Usually that means a coalition or confidence and supply agreement between parties.
- Talks start after election night and often wait for the official result, due on 27 November 2026.
- The Governor-General appoints the Prime Minister once it's clear who has majority support.
- In 2023, it took 44 days from election day to swearing in the government.
Kinds of government
| Type | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Single-party majority | One party has more than half the seats | Labour, 2020 to 2023 |
| Majority coalition | Two or more parties share ministries and have a majority together | National, ACT and NZ First, from 2023 |
| Minority coalition with support | Coalition partners lack a majority but have support agreements | Labour and NZ First with Green support, 2017 |
| Minority government | One party governs with support agreements on confidence and supply | Several Labour and National governments since 1996 |
Confidence and supply means a party agrees to support the government on votes of confidence and on the budget, but doesn't necessarily join it or back every policy. Parties can also sit on the cross benches and decide issue by issue.
The steps after election night
- Election night. Leaders speak, and it's often clear which parties could form a majority.
- Informal talks. Parties begin talking within days. Some say before the election which parties they will or won't work with.
- The official result. Because special votes can move seats, parties often wait for the official count. For 2026 that's 27 November. See special votes explained.
- Agreements. Parties negotiate and sign written agreements covering policies, ministerial roles and how they'll work together.
- Advice to the Governor-General. The Governor-General doesn't pick the government. They act on clear public evidence of which leader has the support of a majority of the House.
- Swearing in. The Prime Minister and ministers are sworn in.
- Parliament meets. The new Parliament must meet within six weeks of the writ being returned. For 2026 the writ is returned on 3 December.
How long has it taken?
Days from election day to a sworn-in government
- 199665 days
- 201733 days
- 202344 days
The length depends on how close the result is and how many parties are needed:
- 1996: 65 days. The first MMP election. NZ First negotiated with both National and Labour before forming a coalition with National.
- 2017: 33 days. NZ First announced its choice on 19 October, 26 days after election day, forming a government with Labour supported by the Greens.
- 2020: no talks needed for a majority. Labour won 65 of 120 seats, the first single-party majority under MMP, though it still signed a cooperation agreement with the Greens.
- 2023: 44 days. Special votes reduced National and ACT to 59 of 122 seats, so NZ First was needed. Coalition agreements were signed on 24 November and ministers sworn in on 27 November.
Seats on election night vs the official result
2023
- National 50 → 48
- Green 14 → 15
- Te Pāti Māori 4 → 6
2020
- Labour 64 → 65
- National 35 → 33
- Māori Party 1 → 2
2017
- National 58 → 56
- Labour 45 → 46
- Green 7 → 8
The caretaker convention
Between the election and a new government, the existing government continues as a caretaker. By convention it avoids major new decisions and consults other parties on anything significant. That's normal and part of how the system is designed to work.
What to watch for in 2026
- The bloc totals on election night. Add up seats for parties likely to work together and compare with the majority line: 61 of 120, or more with overhang.
- Pre-election statements. Parties' public statements about who they'll work with shape the likely options.
- The official count. If a bloc is just above or below the line on election night, wait for 27 November.
- Our seat builder. Try different results and see which combinations reach a majority with our build your own Parliament tool.
Questions and answers
How is a government formed in New Zealand?
The party or parties that can command a majority in the House form the government, usually through a coalition or confidence and supply agreements. The Governor-General then appoints the Prime Minister.
Who decides who becomes Prime Minister?
The House of Representatives, in effect. The Governor-General appoints the leader who has majority support in the House.
How long do coalition talks take in NZ?
Anywhere from a few days to about two months. Under MMP the longest wait was 65 days in 1996. In 2023 it took 44 days.
What is confidence and supply?
An agreement where a party commits to support the government on confidence votes and budget votes, without necessarily being part of the government.
Who runs the country during negotiations?
The existing government continues as a caretaker until the new one is sworn in.
Sources
- NZHistory: government formation under MMP.
- RNZ: 2023 coalition negotiations.
- 2023 New Zealand general election.
- Parliament: how Parliament meets after an election.
This guide is general information about New Zealand elections, checked against the sources linked above on 3 November 2026. For anything about your own enrolment or vote, check vote.nz or call the Electoral Commission on 0800 36 76 56.
Keep reading
How MMP works in New Zealand: party vote, electorate vote and 120 seats
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