The latest Newshub-Reid Research results reveal National leader Christopher Luxon remains the preferred Prime Minister heading into election day but support for Labour's Chris Hipkins has increased.
Luxon was off on National's big blue bus on Wednesday, burning up the country like some kind of premature victory tour.
But someone's slammed the gearstick in reverse - National's vote has crashed by 4.6 points to 34.5 percent.
Despite that, Luxon said National has "got great momentum on the ground".
Backward momentum perhaps?
National began the campaign up in the 40s. Asked if National peaked too soon, Luxon said: "I disagree, we've got great momentum in our campaign.
"[We've] done an incredible job but it's not done."
The job for the other Chris is much more challenging - he's dreaming of a red Christmas.
His groupies are buying his hype but Hipkins and Labour are moving up way too slowly. Labour is up 1 point but it's still only at 27.5 percent.
"We are seeing a real swinging in behind Labour in the last few days of the campaign and I think our numbers are going to continue to go up," Hipkins said.
He is gaining back a little momentum in the popularity stakes.
The Newshub-Reid Research poll shows 22.2 percent picked him as their preferred Prime Minister, up 3.1 points but still lagging behind Luxon. The National leader is at 23.6 percent, falling slightly from 24 percent in the last Newshub-Reid Research poll.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has cemented himself ahead of ACT's David Seymour. Peters is on 5 percent, while Seymour is on 4.2 percent.
Meanwhile, Chlöe Swarbrick is on 3.7 percent - outpolling her co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson, on 2.9 percent and 1.2 percent respectively.
The Greens have been rolling up their sleeves, getting stuck in behind the scenes and it's serving up superb results. The party is on 14.9 percent.
"It's a really good poll. Obviously, it has to translate on the night," said Shaw.
Whereas the right's winning concoction is becoming a mixed-up mess
National's preferred coalition partner, ACT, is failing to hit the target.
"Nobody has started, finished or ended [voting] yet. Actually, the choice is there for people who want to change the Government," said Seymour.
His problem rode in on a National Party endorsement.
Asked if he regretted making a video ruling in Peters, Luxon said he didn't.
"I was just laying out clearly my position on parties I'd work with," he said.
Seymour said it's up to voters to decide.
And, as the blue and yellow teams hit the panic buttons, New Zealand First is on the up. It's up 1.6 to 6.8 percent.
"Look, there's a real surge... and it won't stop now," said Peters.
But no one's got time for regrets.
"I think we've run a fantastic campaign," reiterated Luxon.
"I'm really proud of our campaign - we've run a really positive, forward-looking campaign," said Hipkins.
The time to turn things around is over. From here. you - the voter - take the wheel.
The Newshub-Reid Research poll was conducted between 5 October and 10 October 2023 with a margin of error of 3.1 percent.
