New Zealand’s prime minister postponed the country’s general election on Monday by a month to October 17 as the city of Auckland remains in lockdown due to a growing coronavirus outbreak, Reuters reported.

Jacinda Ardern bowed to pressure to delay the polls after parties complained they could not campaign with nearly a third of New Zealand’s 5 million people under lockdown in Auckland. “Ultimately, the 17th of October ... provides sufficient time for parties to plan around the range of circumstances we will be campaigning under,” Ardern said at a news conference.

The prime minister ruled out delaying the polls any further. “We are all in the same boat. We are all campaigning in the same environment,” Ardern said.

The election was scheduled for September 19, and New Zealand law requires it to be held by November 21. Advance voting will now start on October 3.