New Zealanders go to polls in 'dirty tricks' election

WELLINGTON: New Zealanders voted Saturday in a general election with conservative Prime Minister John Key tipped for a narrow victory despite a roller-coaster campaign dominated by allegations of dirty tricks and mass surveillance.

Polling booths opened at 9:00 am and will close at 7:00 pm (0700 GMT) as 3.06 million registered voters cast their ballots for the South Pacific nation's 51st parliament.

First indications of the election outcome -- which is notoriously difficult to predict under New Zealand's proportional voting system -- are expected during the evening.

Opinion polls indicate Key is set to succeed in his bid for a third term, although the centre-left Labour Party said the latest surveys indicating a swing of less than one percent could result in a change of government.

Policies have largely taken a back seat in the campaign to claims of government dirty tricks and smear campaigns, based on hacked emails, along with accusations Key's administration allowed mass spying on the population.

Key has denied any wrongdoing and his centre-right National Party has stuck to a campaign strategy of emphasising New Zealand's economic growth while relying on the personal popularity of its charismatic leader, referring to itself as "Team Key".

Despite the allegations of underhand tactics, which forced one senior minister to resign, Key's approval rating has held steady, reaching close to 70 percent in some polls.

"There's been all these distractions and different issues going on but the polling hasn't really moved," the former merchant banker told reporters on the eve of the election.

"There's just the natural tightening you get in any (campaign) cycle."

Key's National Party won 47.3 percent of the vote in the 2011 election and forged a coalition with minor parties. Latest opinion polls put its support at 47.7 to 48.2 percent.

Labour, which gained 27.5 percent of the vote last time, is polling at 26.1 but could potentially form a government with left-wing ally the Greens and New Zealand First, which has not declared who it would support if the election turns into a cliffhanger.