Coalition talks can start before final count, expert says

Nothing stops politicians from starting coalition negotiations while they wait for the final vote count, according to constitutional law expert Graeme Edgeler.

The final count is due after a 20-day wait. Edgeler said that wait is about accuracy, not only special votes. Special votes are the votes that cannot be counted straight away and must be checked before they are added to the total.

The chief electoral officer, Karl le Quesne, told RNZ that most of the time taken before the final result is to ensure accuracy. He said one key factor slowing the count is the work of combining the rolls from 2700 voting places into a single roll for each electorate. That step makes sure no name is crossed off twice.

The final count process includes recounts of ordinary votes. It also involves checking votes against enrolments, and tallying electorate and party votes to make sure the two totals match. The process includes a legally required 10-day wait for special votes to be sent to their electorate.

Edgeler said that if a person votes twice, all of that person's votes are cancelled. The checks in the final count are designed to catch that kind of error.

Edgeler also pointed to 2008. That year, John Key was sworn in as prime minister and announced his ministers before the final count was released. His government was formed with the Māori Party, United Future and ACT.