Elections in New Zealand 2020: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is one of the first to vote when early voting begins

Labor leader Jacinda Ardern was one of the first New Zealanders to vote in the 2020 election this morning, casting her vote a few hours after early voting began.

Her vote was “two Labor ticks,” she told reporters who were invited to watch the prime minister cast her vote.

She was joined by her fiancé Clarke Gayford, who also voted for Labor and Ardern; she is the local candidate at Mt Albert.

“He had no other choice,” Ardern joked as the couple left the voting station.

He arrived with Gayford shortly after 11 a.m. and spent about two minutes in the voting booth.

There were only a few other voters in the center this morning: two who passed Ardern on their way out said they had voted for her.

“Oh thank you,” she replied.

Although he said he had voted for Labor, he did not reveal how he voted in both referenda.

He will now speak at Labor’s Get Out The Vote event, where he encouraged people to cast their vote early.

Early voting officially opens nationwide today and turnout is expected to be higher than ever.

Elections Commission Director of Elections Alicia Wright has said early voting could account for 60 percent of the total number of votes. In 2017, early voting was 47 percent.

The commission has been encouraging people to get out early and vote. The last day of the voting period is October 17.

Covid-19 significantly changed the plans for the elections, which were initially scheduled for September 19.

Election results will be released as they are released the night of October 17.

But the initial results of the end-of-life election and cannabis referendum will not be known until October 30, and full results will not be confirmed until November 6.