Final results for Mt Albert byelection confirm record low turnout

Labour Party leader, Andrew Little walks with MP Jacinda Ardern along Sandringham Rd during the Mt Albert byelection campaign. NZH photo Nick Reed

Final results for the Mt Albert byelection have been released - confirming a low turnout at just 30 per cent.

The Electoral Commission's final tally for the February 25 byelection has Labour's Jacinda Ardern at 10,495 votes (77 per cent).

Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter received 1564 votes (11 per cent), and Geoff Simmons from Gareth Morgan's The Opportunities Party (Top) got 623 votes (4.56 per cent).

The Mt Albert byelection was not contested by National and was held only seven months before the September 23 general election.

Turnout suffered as a result - just 30 per cent of the 45,888 people enrolled in the Auckland electorate voted.

That compared to the Mt Roskill byelection in December where turnout was 38.5 per cent and 65 per cent for the Northland byelection in 2015.

Turnout plummeted to 32.8 per cent for Te Tai Hauauru in 2004, when Tariana Turia resigned from Labour to contest the seat for the Maori Party. Neither Labour nor National fielded a candidate.

That turnout was previously the lowest on Electoral Commission records, which cover the MMP period.

Arden was on Tuesday elected to be Labour's deputy leader, after Annette King stepped down from the role and announced she would leave Parliament at the next election.