Rotorua's mall clocked thousands of votes ahead of the election, making it the most popular place in the region to vote, according to the latest figures from the Electoral Commission.
With 8318 votes made in advance, it was also the eighth-most popular place in the country for people to casttheir advance vote.
The mall was a place for people in the Rotorua, Waiariki and Taupō electorates to vote.
And an academic says the location was a "hell of a sensible idea" and the convenience meant more voices were being counted.
Just over two-thirds of the Rotorua electorate votes - 22,230 - were done in advance, compared to the 10,190 on election day.
And the results showed a strong support for the Labour Party, and for the first time in 18 years, the party cleaned out every Bay of Plenty electorate.
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Kushler Porter voted three days prior to the election at the mall, knowing "months in advance" who she would vote for.
"I had always planned on voting beforehand so left my voting card that came in the mail in the car for when I was next in town."
She hoped voting would continue to stay open prior to the election due to the high voter turnout.
Rotorua's Renee Kiriona waited in line at the mall for 10 minutes before leaving to vote somewhere else.
"I chose there because it was convenient; cast a vote, go for kai in the mall, do some shopping at The Warehouse, all in one space."
She had a hui on election day which meant she needed to vote beforehand.
After leaving the queue, she voted at the Redwoods booth as it was on her way home.
Rotorua Central Mall general manager Peter Faulkner said the polling station was "extremely busy" and well run, with daily queues being churned through efficiently.
Rotorua Central Mall general manager Peter Faulkner. Photo / File
"It added to the buzz of the mall."
He said those working for the booth ensured people kept their distance, which was a difference from previous years.
The high number of people coming to vote was consistent throughout the two weeks which, Faulkner said, was down to the convenience of the central location, parking, and near stores visited daily.
Massey University's political commentator Professor Richard Shaw said it was "a hell of a sensible idea" to have voting in a mall, making voting easier.
This, coupled with advance voting, removed any potential barriers against voting.
He said people in low to medium socioeconomic areas spent a lot of time in malls.
Massey University's political commentator Professor Richard Shaw. Photo / File
"In modern times, there hasn't been systematic vote suppression in Aotearoa like we're witnessing in the United States at the moment," he said, but holding elections on one day only inadvertently did this.
Shaw said the high level of early voting was because people had made their minds up.
"Their preferences were locked in and the campaign had very little impact."
"They already decided to give the Prime Minister the party vote ... most people's preferences were determined before the campaign period began, and certainly before advance voting."
Shaw said that while support overall was for Labour, there were still pockets of National strongholds in rural areas.
Labour obtained 110,600 votes in the Bay of Plenty, Tauranga, Rotorua, Waiariki, Coromandel, Taupō and East Coast electorates - eclipsing the National Party which gained 40,000 fewer.
The results represented a dramatic reversal of fortunes from the previous election when National, with the exception of the Waiariki seat, dominated the party vote in the same electorates.
But there were still a few pockets of National support, seen mainly at rural booths in the region.
Marotiri School and Community Hall near Taupō had 61 per cent National support, Galatea School's booth had 59 per cent National, and Waikite Valley School's booth had 50 per cent support for blue.
"There are probably fewer of them, and they're not quite as strong as they were in 2017," Shaw said.
