National will need New Zealand First's Winston Peters alongside Act's 11 seats to form a government after the special votes come in.  

National has lost two seats, taking its 50 seats down to 48.  

Labour's Te Atatu MP Phil Twyford avoided being another victim of the so-called "bluenami", holding onto his seat by just 131 votes.  

Labour's Rachel Boyack also clawed back Nelson by 29 votes, while its Mt Albert candidate Helen White managed to hold on to her seat by just 20 votes.   

Newstalk ZB Political Editor Jason Walls says some of the seats were even closer to the wire.  

He told James Daniels and Tyler Adams Te Pati Maori's Takutai Tarsh Kemp won the Tamaki Makaurau seat by a razor-thin margin. 

“And she won it by a majority of just four votes. Not 40, not 400, just four votes. I mean it’s incredibly thin.”

The Maori Party took two seats from Labour - Tamaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau.

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