Election 2026: Historic night for Act as party hits 11%
The Act party achieved a record 11% of the vote in the 2026 New Zealand election, positioning itself as a key player in potential coalition talks. Party leaders are navigating the complexities of forming a right-wing government, potentially involving the Opportunity party.
Why it matters
The election results signal a shift in the political landscape and highlight the complexities of coalition building in parliamentary systems.
Act supporters have something to smile about this evening, achieving the party’s third “record result” in a row.
As of 11pm on Saturday, the party was sitting on 11%, up from 8.64% in 2023 and 7.6% in 2020.
Leader David Seymour told attendees at the title="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/act-party/">Act election HQ the outcome was a “record result”.
He thanked his team of candidates and shared his appreciation for Kiwis who used their “voice, time and effort” to anchor New Zealand politics to the right.
“The final result may not be known tonight, it may not be known until the final count is released,” he said.
Act MP Cameron Luxton said the party had gone from “strength to strength” and tonight’s outcome was “great”.
“If we have to work with Opportunity, I hope that they’re collegial, but we’ll see.”
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