Voting begins in New Zealand election

Polling opened across New Zealand Saturday in a general election conducted under strict laws which have led to a near-total absence of election news in the media on voting day. Voting began at 9:00 am (2000 GMT Friday) and will close at 7:00pm in the poll in which New Zealanders will also decide whether they wish to continue with their complicated proportional voting system. Under New Zealand's electoral rules the news media can mention that the election is on and when results are expected, but cannot use any words or images which could be seen to influence voters. The restrictions apply to photographing and filming voters or candidates at or near polling places on election day. This has led to the main Saturday morning newspapers making no reference to the election at all. The centre-right National Party of Prime Minister John Key currently holds power with the support of three minor parties after defeating the centre-left Labour Party-led coalition government in the last election three years ago. No party has held outright power in New Zealand since 1996 when the country replaced its first-past-the-post system with proportional representation. A referendum attached to this election asks New Zealanders whether they wish to change the voting system.