Page "Elections in New Zealand" Paragraph 15

The Prime Minister's power to determine the election date can give the government some subtle advantages.

For example, if governing parties believe that a section of the population will either vote against them or not at all, they might hold the election in early spring, when the weather may well keep less-committed voters away from the polls.

Party strategists take the timing of important rugby union matches into account, partly because a major match in the same weekend of the election will likely lower voting-levels, and partly because of a widespread belief that incumbent governments benefit from a surge of national pride when the All Blacks ( the New Zealand national rugby team ) win and suffer when they lose.