Election 2017: Labour-Greens bloc picks up two seats, National lose 2 seats after special vote count

The Labour-Green bloc has picked up two extra seats and National has lost two in the final election result, making it a more even contest for coalition negotiations with New Zealand First than before.

National has lost two seats, dropping from 58 on election night to 56.

Labour has gained one seat, taking its total to 46 compared with 45 on election night, two weeks ago.

Follow our live coverage of the final election count here.

The Green Party has 8 seats, compared with 7 on election night.

There is no change to the number of seats held by New Zealand First, 9, or Act's one seat.

New Zealand First holds the balance of power, in that neither National nor the Labour-Green bloc can get a majority of 61 in the 120-seat House without New Zealand First.

The change in seats means that the Labour-Green bloc and New Zealand First has increased from a bare majority of 61 in the preliminary results to a bigger cushion of 63 seats.

Conversely, National and New Zealand combined have fallen from 67 on election night to 65.

National's list MP who will now drop off the list of successful candidates are Nicola Willis and Maureen Pugh.

The extra Labour MP will be Annie Warren-Clark.

The extra Green MP will be Golriz Ghahraman.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has said a new Government will be formed by next Thursday, October 12.

New Zealand First held preliminary meetings on Thursday with National negotiators and Labour negotiators but they were meetings about confidentiality.

No substantive discussions took place.

Labour has been undertaking its own informal talks with the Green Party.

Peters has expressed no preference for either a coalition arrangement inside cabinet, a confidence and supply agreement with ministers outside cabinet, or a bare bones agreement that would see New Zealand First sitting on the cross benches.

Chief electoral officer Alicia Wright said all electorate votes have been recounted and there have been no changes to the elected candidates on election night.

The results have confirmed no change in the Maori Party being voted out of Parliament.

Co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell lost his seat to Labour's Tamati Coffey by 1719 votes.

The smallest majority in the country is in Ohariu, the former seat of United Future's Peters Dunne. Labour's Greg O'Connor now holds the seat by 1051 votes more than National list MP Brett Hudson.

The voter turnout was 79.8 per cent compared with 77.9 per cent in 2014. That is the highest since 2005 when it was 80.9 per cent of enrolled voters.

A total of 47 per cent voted by advance voting in 2017, compared with 30 per cent in 2014 and 15 per cent in 2011.

Recount must be lodged by close of business on October 11.