"Just as well we gave them advance warning because they weren't expecting that many to all come at once. We had to go in two at a time so we probably took a good half an hour before we all voted. It was a family affair."
Maori party co-leader Marama Fox spent today with her whanau, preparing a hangi for those who had supported her throughout her campaign.
"We have been preparing a hangi all day because it's my turn to host because I get hosted everywhere I go and pay back all our whanau for all the wonderful support they've given me and sacrifices they've made.
"We're going to sing, eat, tell stories and have fun. Eventually we might look at the polls and see what's going on."
She enjoyed casting her vote the day after the polls opened.
"I always like watching my paper go in the box. It's a bit of a thrill when you pull out the paper and there's your name."
Green Party's Dr Elizabeth Kerekere said she had driven her campaign right up until Friday evening and was now relaxing with whanau in her Gisborne hometown, Kaiti.
"I'm with whanau now and we'll be meeting up with some of the volunteers who have been helping and doing amazing work for us over this campaign."
"I just went out to get some treats at Pak'nSave and I was getting stopped all the way through the supermarket by people wishing me good luck and all the best for changing the government."
She voted the very first day polls opened and said she was so determined to vote in her hometown she actually missed a flight to Wellington.
"It's been surreal to see my name on the page. I think for me I've been up against two seasoned MPs and have had a close to zero budget for this.
"I've learnt so much and I know next time I'll be in a much stronger position and I know that there's support in the community. We shall hopefully change the government tonight and just keep moving."
Representing Maori from the upper reaches of Gisborne down to Lower Hutt, the Ikaroa-Rawhiti candidate elected will join six others in Parliament for the next term.