New Zealand goes to the polls for unexpected nail-biter of an election

New Zealanders are casting their votes Saturday in a general election which final polls showed was too close to call.

Almost a million people have already taken advantage of early voting this week, the biggest ever turnout of advance voters in the country's history, according to CNN affiliate Radio NZ.

Prime Minister Bill English's National Party -- which has run a minority government since 2008 -- led the main opposition Labour Party 45.1% to 41.9% in RNZ's final poll of polls Friday.

That's a turnaround for National, which had been overtaken by Labour in some polls. But under New Zealand's proportional system, Labour may still be able to form a government with the support of the Green Party, which is polling at around 7.2%.

Polls heading into Saturday's vote put the two main parties neck-and-neck, with a slight advantage for National in some surveys, according to CNN-affiliate Radio NZ.

Voter engagement was high, with more than 800,000 taking advantage of early voting by Thursday, almost double the number who had done so at an equivalent point in the last election. The election was largely focused on the economy, with National attempting to highlight its positive record, and housing prices..

UCJ, UNILORIN.