New Zealand votes on final day of tightly contested general election

Polling stations opened Saturday in New Zealand's general election, with the governing National Party and opposition Labour Party neck and neck in opinion polls.

• More than 1.6 million of nearly 3.8 million voters had cast early ballots by Thursday, the country's Electoral Commission said.
• National Party leader Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins are contesting the election, with polls showing neither on course to govern alone.
• New Zealand's election-day law bars parties, news outlets and social media users from commenting on campaigns or outcomes until polls close, with fines of up to NZ$20,000.
• The Electoral Commission aims to release preliminary results from 95 percent of polling stations on election night, with final results expected by November 27.