A general election in the Netherlands delivered a blow to the far-right as a centrist party made sweeping gains, according to results on Thursday that could offer a confidence boost to Europe’s embattled centrists.

With 99 per cent of votes counted, the Dutch election has ended in a dead heat between D66 and Geert Wilders’ PVV. Leiden University professor Bernard Steunenberg says the result signals a return to the political centre and indicates that voters are seeking practical solutions,

The vote comes against a backdrop of deep polarization in this nation of 18 million, violence at a recent anti-immigration rally in The Hague and protests against new asylum-seeker centers.

Rob Jetten would be the Netherlands' youngest and first openly gay prime minister, but he must win the support of several other parties to form a government.

In a poll, 66% of registered Latino voters in California were concerned about an immigration enforcement at a vote site.

With a tight contest expected, Whittle goes for the hyper local pitch that he IS Caerphilly, an approach followed slightly less tub-thumpingly by Tunnicliffe. All the candidates have given their closing statements. Hughes says all the parties there have had a chance. "The Green party is the new kid on the block," he says.