New Zealand’s provisional election results have created considerable uncertainty, and may feel frustrating for many voters. But fortunately there are guidelines for the parties and for the process of government during this limbo period.

Final results – which will include a large number of special votes – won’t be known until November 27, and it will take some weeks of negotiations between the parties before any viable coalition agreement can be made.

The caretaker convention and the guidance of the Cabinet Manual – the “authoritative guide to central government decision making” – now come into play.

As of today, neither the left nor right is giving any ground. Opposition leader, Labour’s Chris Hipkins, did not concede defeat on election night. On the other hand, he was in no position to claim a victory either.

Incumbent prime minister, National’s Christopher Luxon, said, “National is once again the largest party in parliament and we have a pathway to forming the next government.” He too is in no position to say much more.

Thanks to a parliamentary overhang caused by widespread vote splitting, National has 3,650 fewer votes than Labour. But National provisionally holds 42 seats to Labour’s 36. That is clearly not proportional in the way the mixed member proportional system........

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