Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced that this year's election will be held on 7 November.
National MPs are gathering for their first caucus meeting of the year in Christchurch, while Labour MPs will also hold theirs in Auckland.
Saturday, 7 November had already been the most mentioned frequently as a likely date.
Several pundits are picking the election to be called for after the American mid-terms set for 3 November, which will be a key indicator for how US President Donald Trump's remaining two years in office will fare.
Follow how we reported on the announcment in our liveblog below:
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
