Election 2026: The electorates to watch on the big night

In the weeks before this year's election, we sent RNZ reporters out around the country to chat to locals and candidates in some of the more interesting electorates.This is what they found:Te Tai TokerauRNZ / VPNOf Aotearoa's seven Māori seats, Te Tai Tokerau is probably the most contested and the hardest to call. Read moreTamakiRNZ / Blessen TomThe Auckland electorate of Tāmaki is one of the three richest electorates in the country alongside Epsom and the newly created Wellington North.Te Tai TongaRNZTe Tai Tonga is the largest of the Māori seats - and by far the largest in New Zealand, covering the entire South Island, Stewart Island, the Chatham Islands and much of central Wellington.Hamilton EastRNZ/Rachel MooreThe Hamilton East electorate runs east of the Waikato River, from Riverlea and Hillcrest in the south, through Fairfield and Enderley, and then to Rototuna and Flagstaff in the north. Read moreTakaniniRNZ / Blessen TomThe result of the election battle for Takanini in South Auckland has the potential to be something of a turning point for Indian political representation in New Zealand. Read moreWigramRNZ / Nate McKinnonWigram is a likely two-horse race between National's Tracy Summerfield and Labour's Dominik Yanzick. The electorate is young and diverse - but changing boundaries have also changed its character. Read moreTe Tai HauauruRNZ / SuppliedStretching from Porirua to Putāruru and from Ōpunake to Ohakune, Te Tai Hauāuru covers the rohe of a diverse number of iwi as well as the home of the influential Rātana movement.Auckland centralRNZ/Jessica HopkinsAuckland's city centre, several of its swanky inner-city suburbs, and the Hauraki Gulf Islands all make up the Auckland Central electorate. But with new challengers for the electorate seat and a history of close races, Auckland Central is set to be hotly contested once again. Read moreWellington BaysRNZ / Angus DreaverWellington's newest seat is shaping up to be a neck-and-neck race for the left, as Labour tries to reclaim a lost heartland. Read moreWairarapaRNZ / Zach CornelisenSpread across more than 12,000 kilometres in the lower North Island the Wairarapa electorate is made up of small rural towns with loud voices. Read moreWest Coast TasmanRNZ/Samantha Gee.The West Coast, traditionally been a Labour stronghold, has joined with Tasman, where the seat flipped at the last election from Labour stalwart Damien O'Connor to National's Maureen Pugh. But with Pugh's retirement and O'Connor no longer contesting the seat, a host of new faces are vying for the seat. Read moreHutt SouthRNZ / Samuel RillstoneIn the Wellington region, election day in the Hutt South is shaping up to be an existential one for incumbent National's Chris Bishop - but could a haircut secure the seat? Read moreMaungakiekieRNZ / Felix WaltonIn Maungakiekie, there isn't a lot everyone can agree on. The electorate, which straddles the border between Auckland's inner and southern suburbs, has never been a safe bet.New PlymouthRNZ / Robin MartinThe New Plymouth electorate stretches from Ōpunake on Surf Highway 45 in Taranaki's southwest to Waitara in the northeast, bisecting Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki and capturing the upmarket beach settlement of Ōākura in the process. Read moreMount AlbertRNZ / Tom TaylorMount Albert could prove to be pivotal for National as it plots it way back to power.Labour has held the Auckland seat for decades but nearly lost it in 2023, only holding on by the slimmest of margins. Read moreTukitukiRNZ/Sally RoundWhat does a meteorologist, a parrot trainer, a former All Black captain and a DJ have in common? They're all vying to be the next MP for Tukituki in Hawke's Bay. Read more