Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announces New Zealand’s 2026 general election will be held on November 7. Labour 'fired up and ready to go'

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has booked in the general election for Saturday, November 7.

As prime minister, the decision of when to have the general election lies with Luxon and in theory, Luxon alone. The only caveat is that a general election must be set before the end of the current three-year parliamentary term.

Luxon shared the election date on Wednesday with reporters, at the National Party Caucus retreat in Christchurch.

Following the tradition of setting the election date early, Luxon said he wanted to give New Zealanders certainty. 

"In the lead up to the November 7 election, Kiwis will have to weigh up who is best placed to provide [a] stable and strong government in a very volatile and uncertain world." 

Asked why he chose November 7, Luxon said most of New Zealand's election dates have been in late October and early November. 

"When you look at international events beforehand, when you look at national events, sporting events, that was the logical time."

November 7 felt like a really good date, he said.

"We are going to make the case very strongly for a National-led government. We have been able and proven that we can work successfully with both ACT and New Zealand First."

He said National was open to working with them again but made it clear they would not be working with Labour, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori. 

"We're clear about who our partners could possibly be post an election but the most important thing is we want to maximise the National Party vote."

Luxon said he had informed his coalition partners, ACT and New Zealand First, about the election date on Tuesday. 

"I can make a coalition work if I have to, my preference would be to make sure I'm maximising the National Party vote."

'Desperate to hold on'

At Labour's caucus retreat in West Auckland, Labour leader Chris Hipkins told reporters his party was "fired up and ready to go" for this year's election.

In a report from Stuff, Hipkins said people would see a different Labour this time around. The party was "refreshed" and "energised", he said.

When it came to the November 7 date, Hipkins told Stuff: "It's a late election relative to what we've seen recently. We've typically seen New Zealand going to the polls in October rather than in November. That suggests that he's desperate to hold on as long as he can."

Luxon’s election date announcement comes after he gave his 2026 State of the Nation address on Monday in Auckland.

There were no policy announcements in his State of the Nation address, instead Luxon positioned the Government’s already-signalled reforms to KiwiSaver, the education system and resource management as the centre piece of the National Party's election campaign.

This year’s general election also coincides with new electoral law changes.

Changes include:

• Closing enrolment 13 days before election - this means people won’t be able to enrol to vote on Election Day.
• Requiring 12 days of advance voting at each election.
• Introducing automatic enrolment updates.
• Creating an offence that stops the provision of free food, drink or entertainment within 100 metres of a voting place. This would be punishable by a fine of up to $10,000.
• Reinstating a total ban on prisoner voting. Under the previous Labour Government, people serving less than three years were allowed to vote. In April 2025, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith told RNZ that Cabinet had agreed to reinstate a total ban on prisoners voting.

Luxon has advised the Governor-General of the election date.

The Government’s intention is that the House will rise on September 24, with Parliament dissolved on October 1.

Writ day will be on October 4 and nominations will close at noon on October 8.

Advance voting will begin on October 26 and the last day for the return of the writ will be December 3.