Incumbent National MP Stuart Smith and Labour candidate Matt Flight were neck and neck for most of the night. While Labour took 44.1 per cent of the electorate’s party vote – compared to National’s 30.7 per cent – voters still wanted National’s Stuart Smith as their man in Parliament. READ MORE:* Election 2020: Labour's dramatic takeover of New Plymouth seat* Election 2020: Christchurch a sea of red as voters back Labour* What's next for the Kaikōura candidates? Some people believe the government has saved their life.”Brya Ingram/Stuff National MP Stuart Smith enters his third term. Nearly 2 million people cast advance votes in the 2020 election – the most ever – far exceeding the 1.2 million that voted early in 2017.

Source: Stuff October 17, 2020 17:26 UTC