Six big takeaways from election 2026: Who’s winning, what might change and the big surprises

Analysis bySenior Writer·NZ Herald·8 Nov, 2026 02:40 AM10 mins to readDerek Cheng is a Multimedia Journalist for the New Zealand Herald. He values holding those in power to account and shining a light on issues kept in the dark.‌New Zealanders won’t know what the shape of the next Government will be for several more weeks.Here’s what we know so far – as it stands, before the special votes are counted.A narrow coalition majority The preliminary results have the coalition parties of National, Act and New Zealand