Nov 2 (Reuters) - Nearly 1 million ballots have been cast in the first week of early voting for the New Zealand general election, the country's electoral commission said on Monday.
• A total of 913,762 votes were cast between October 26 and November 1, according to New Zealand's Electoral Commission
• The count represents a 28% jump compared with the same period during the 2023 election
• The busiest day was Saturday when more than 190,000 votes were issued, the commission said
• "Voting has got off to a good start, and there are still six more days to vote," said Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne
• Around 600 voting places will be open daily this week, with that number rising to more than 2,300 on election day
• The strong early turnout comes despite the government introducing controversial new rules that ended enrolment 13 days before the election on November 7, with critics arguing the earlier cut-off could deter participation
• Latest polls still show no clear winner or coalition grouping in the tightly contested election
(Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Stephen Coates)