New Zealand's governing center- right National Party has returned for a third term Saturday in a much stronger position than either of its first two terms in power.

National had 48.2 percent with almost all the votes counted enough to take 62 seats in the 120-seat Parliament and to govern alone, preliminary results from the Electoral Commission showed.

However, it is likely to enter into confidence and supply agreements with the libertarian Act and the center-right United Future parties, which each have one member of Parliament (MP) and supported the National since it first came to power in 2008.

The future of National's other minor partner, the Maori Party, looked much less certain after it dropped from three to two MPs.

Meanwhile, the main opposition Labour Party had 24.52 percent and its Green Party allies 10.02 percent, giving them a total of 44 seats.

The centrist New Zealand First party was in fourth place on 8. 87 percent, giving it a possible 11 seats.

About 2.07 million of the 3.1 million registered voters cast their ballots, according to the Electoral Commission.

New Zealand has a mixed member-proportional representation system for electing each Parliament, which sits for a maximum three-year term.

Each voter gets two votes: one for an electorate representative and one for their preferred party.