The two alternatives as prime minister, incumbent Chris Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins, cast ballots on Monday, ahead of the November 7 election day, while urging Kiwis to do the same.
Polls point to a tight race between the National-led coalition and the left bloc, with a new teal party, Opportunity, possibly emerging to claim the balance of power.
Like Mr Hipkins and Mr Luxon, many voters are choosing to do their civic duty ahead of polling day.
However, for the first time this century, Kiwis can no longer enrol to vote right up to polling day, an electoral tweak which the opposition and academics say could disenfranchise hundreds of thousands.
As of Saturday, the Electoral Commission had 3.74 million voters on the roll, but just 69.9 per cent of eligible 18-24-year-olds - down from over 75 per cent at the previous two polls.
Mr Luxon, who named November 7 as his election date back in January, said the electoral commission's marketing budget was upped to warn Kiwis of the change.
"I am very comfortable. We've given plenty of time," he told journalists in Auckland on Monday.
On the campaign trail on the weekend, he noted that in Australian federal elections, enrolment stops 26 days out from polling day, compared to 13 days in New Zealand.
"Kiws are twice as smart as Australians so I'm sure we can manage," he said.
The changes are a response to extra pressure heaped on the electoral commission in 2023 from high levels of late enrolments and special votes, typically out-of-electorate ballots.
Political analysts say the move will advantage National and the conservative coalition, given younger voters are less likely to be enrolled and tent to vote for progressive parties.
"In a tight election this move by one party ... clearly tilts the playing field (and) undermines the legitimacy of the election outcome for all New Zealanders," University of Canterbury professor Bronwyn Hayward said.
"It does not encourage voters to 'get organised' it merely rewards wealthier older voters who have lived in the same house for a number of years and disadvantages young voters and renters not yet registered."
Mr Hipkins has been calling foul for weeks, telling TVNZ he was "very angry" at the changes.
"There'll be a big outcry when a whole lot of people who didn't know that they weren't on the roll show up and find that their vote's not going to count," he said.
Polls close at 7pm on November 7 but its highly unlikely that Kiwis will know their next government on election night.
It could take weeks or even months of coalition-building negotiations most likely, following the final results to be released on November 27.
Mr Luxon has warned New Zealanders they may not have a government by Christmas, but Mr Hipkins pledged, if the left ends up a majority, he will conclude talks before the holidays.
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