Election 2026: You’ve heard a lot about an overhang. What does it mean?

Home / New Zealand / PoliticsAdam PearseDeputy Political Editor·NZ Herald·7 Nov, 2026 06:00 AM3 mins to read‌Katie Bradford explains vote splitting – and what Parliament's overhang is.Much of this election campaign has been dominated by discussions of overhangs and vote-splitting. How does it work and what is it intended to cause? An overhang is prompted if a political party wins more electorate seats than its share of the party vote entitles it to, which impacts AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.