WELLINGTON, New Zealand – New Zealand delayed a national election by about a month after a coronavirus outbreak in its largest city Auckland put a third of voters down.
The election, which is expected to be dominated by debate over the government’s response to the pandemic, will now be held on October 17, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.
“I have absolute confidence that we can and will deliver a safe election,” said Ms Ardern, who also promised there would be no second delay.
Countries face a dilemma as to whether to hold national or local polls, given the risk that voters gather to cast their vote or attend physical rallies could increase coronavirus transmission. In April, South Korea was the first to hold a major national election during the pandemic. Singapore held a national election in July, although some votes in Europe were postponed as the crisis deepened.
New Zealand went 102 days without known local transmission of the coronavirus, but that region ended last week with the discovery of new cases in Auckland. The source remains unknown, but public health experts say a breach of border controls is the most likely scenario.
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