Labour sees a burst of support in poll, while National stalls

Support for Labour has increased just days before the New Zealand election.

However, a Guardian Essential New Zealand poll suggests the party is trailing National.

New Zealand First recorded 8.2% in October’s poll – which includes undecided voters in its total – up 2.2 points from September’s survey, and the party’s strongest showing of any major poll this year.

The results left both Labour and National’s blocs short of claiming the 61 of parliament’s 120 seats needed to govern.

Guardian Essential New Zealand poll

Since September’s poll, support stalled for National, which recorded 34% of the vote, 0.5 points down from last month.

Its support partner, Act, slid 2.4 points to 7.9%.

The centre-left Labour party lifted 3.4 points to 30.3%, an 11th-hour boost after months of persistent slumps in the polls.

Support for Labour’s leftwing support parties was steady; the Greens recorded 10.6% of the vote (down 0.4 points from last month) and Te Pāti Māori registered 1.9% (down 0.6 points).