As predicted there were some tough battles in key electorate seats. Here's how the the votes fell yesterday.
National's Nicky Wagner, left, and Labour's Duncan Webb. Photo: Supplied
Christchurch Central
This was one of three likely Labour gains. Labour's Duncan Webb unseated National's Nicky Wagner who won the seat with a 2450 majority in 2014.
Mr Webb secured 13,838 votes to Nicky Wagner's 11573.
Peter Richardson for the Green Party was a distant third with 1377 votes.
Until 2011 this was a safe Labour Party seat. But Ms Wagner won that time by a slim margin 47 votes. She expanded that majority further in 2014.
Growing dissatisfaction with the slow pace of the Christchurch rebuild seems to have had an impact here.
Hutt South
National candidate Chris Bishop campaigning in Hutt South with National Party leader Bill English Photo: RNZ / Demelza Leslie
A National gain with Chris Bishop taking this seat from Labour.
Trevor Mallard only just held Hutt South ahead of Mr Bishop at the 2014 election. Mr Mallard is now standing on the list only.
Mr Bishop won 17392 votes with Labour's Ginny Andersen getting 15387.
Virginia Horrocks for the Greens was in third place on 889.
Hutt South was a target seat for National, Mr Bishop spent the last three years working hard in the electorate to topple Labour's slim hold on the seat.
Nelson
Labour candidate in Nelson Rachel Boyack concedes to Nick Smith who has held his Nelson seat but with a reduced majority so far. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
In Nelson National's Nick Smith held on to the seat quite comfortably.
This is the one electorate seat that the Green Party chose to contest.
Dr Smith won 14,966 votes, Labour was next with Rachel Boyack on 10,956 and the Greens had 8324 votes.
It seems the decision to stand by the Greens split that left vote in Nelson.
Northland
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters wiped the floor with National's candidate at the 2015 by-election, though the seat has traditionally been a true blue stronghold.
But normal service resumed yesterday when National's Matt King edged out Mr Peters 13686 to 12394.
Willow-Jean Prime for Labour was third on 7219.
Mr Peter's hard work in the electorate during the campaign was not enough to convince Northland to hand victory to him again.
Ōhāriu
This seat was always going to be a tight race, even before United Future leader Peter Dunne resigned.
At this stage Labour's Greg O'Connor (14486) has the seat with a slim 679 majority, special votes notwithstanding.
National's Brett Hudson's polled 13695 votes.
The Green Party decided to stand a candidate in the seat at the last minute and Tane Woodley won 1947 votes.
TOP candidate Jessica Hammond came third with 2440 votes.
United Future candidate Bale Nadakuitavuki garnered just 212 votes.
Waiariki
Tamati Coffey, left, and Te Ururoa Flavell Photo: Supplied
A big loss for the Māori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell, who won the seat in 2014 with a majority of 3889.
Labour's Tamati Coffey won the seat with 9,847 votes to Mr Flavell's 8,526.
Mr Flavell is something of a celebrity in his Waiariki electorate, but has found it tough to balance his ministerial duties this term with spending enough time there.
Wairarapa
National's Alistair Scott held the seat but with a reduced majority.
Mr Scott won 14988 votes, with Labour's Kieran McAnulty pushing him hard coming second on 12242 votes.
Mr Scott's strong majority meant this seat was always likely to stay blue, but there have been grumblings in the electorate that Mr Scott has not spent enough time in the area (he lives outside the electorate).
New Zealand First's Ron Mark was on 7079 votes.
