Why was New Zealand’s 2020 election postponed?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Jacinda Ardern Labour politician Jacinda Ardern became prime minister of New Zealand in 2017.

New Zealand’s 2020 parliamentary election was postponed from September to October 17, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Although the country had successfully contained the virus for approximately 100 days, the emergence of new cases in Auckland in August 2020 prompted the government to reimpose a lockdown. The election was delayed to ensure public safety and to allow for the containment of the outbreak, which was successfully managed by the time the rescheduled vote took place.1