(CNN) One year and $17.6 million later, New Zealanders have decided to keep their current flag.

The country's Electoral Commission announced the preliminary result on Thursday evening, after three weeks of voting.

New Zealand has voted to retain our current flag. I encourage all NZers to use it, embrace it and, more importantly, be proud of it. — John Key (@johnkeypm) March 24, 2016

More than 56.6% of voters chose to stick with the current standard -- a relic of British rule. While the Silver Fern challenger did get more votes than polls suggested, 43.2%, it was not enough to make history.

New Zealand votes to keep current flag with 56.6% of the vote, compared to 43.2% for Lockwood #nzflag pic.twitter.com/1Ao6WW1OmD — Elle Hunt (@mlle_elle) March 24, 2016

Voters chose the Silver Fern (black, white and blue) in a previous referendum late last year from a selection of five to go up against the existing standard.

Some 2.1 million voters took part in the referendum, a turnout of 67.3%, according to the Electoral Commission.

Whatever the outcome tonight, at the end of the flag it was a flag of two flags. We flagged our flag & the best flag flagged. Flag. #nzflag — Lauren Mabbett (@LaurenMabbett) March 24, 2016

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