New Zealanders voted Saturday in a national election that could see Prime Minister John Key winning an outright majority in parliament.

Mr. Key's National Party has held power for the past three years, with the support of three minor parties, after ousting a center-left Labor Party-led coalition government in 2008. Opinion polls put National as much as 25 percentage points ahead of the opposition Labor Party.

However, if National fails to win more than 50 percent of the vote, the main opposition Labor Party under Phil Goff could forge an alliance with minor parties and regain power.

Results are expected later in the day.