If New Zealanders vote to change their flag in March 2016, it will likely be to a design by Kyle Lockwood, now the preferred alternative

The first results are in: if New Zealand decides to change its flag next year, it will most likely be to a design incorporating a silver fern with black, white and blue background.

The country’s electoral commission announced on Friday that Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue) by Kyle Lockwood was the “preferred alternative” to the current flag from preliminary results.

The design received 552,827 first-preference votes, and 50.53% of the total received, suggesting it will likely be pitted against New Zealand’s current flag in a second referendum in March next year.

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It finished just ahead of Lockwood’s second shortlisted design, Silver Fern (Red, White and Blue), which received 574,364 first-preference votes and 49.47% – making the margin between the two top-ranked flags less than one percentage point. Aaron Dustin’s Red Peak, a late addition to the shortlist, came in third, some way ahead of Alofi Kanter’s Silver Fern (Black and White). Andrew Fyfe’s Koru, also known as the “hypnoflag”, was the least favourite, with just under 52,000 first-preference votes.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The final four shortlisted designs. Not shown is Red Peak, a late addition. Photograph: www.govt.nz

1,527,042 votes were received in total, including 148,022 informal votes, where the voter did not clearly indicate a first preference, and 2,476 invalid votes. Turnout was 48.16% of the total number of enrolments at 19 November. The result is only preliminary. All papers postmarked or date stamped before Friday 11 December that arrive before Tuesday will be counted. The official, binding result will be announced that afternoon.

Prof John Burrows, a former member of the New Zealand law commission and the chair of the 12-person Flag consideration panel, said that there was a slim margin between the two top-ranked flags, with more votes to be counted.

“We’ve currently got a very close race between the two frontrunners. The red one was ahead on the first-preference [votes], but the black one’s overtaken on the second. When we reach the final result, they might switch back again, so it’s too close to call.” He said it was “fairly clear” that the final preferred alternative design would be one by Lockwood.

The attempt to change the flag, led by the prime minister, John Key, began in earnest seven months ago when the government put out an open call for alternative designs. Nearly 10,300 were submitted for consideration by the 12-person panel. In September, the panel announced its shortlist of four: three silver ferns – in red and black, both by Kyle Lockwood, and black and white, by Alofi Kanter – and a black-and-white koru (spiral) design by Andrew Fyfe.

A fifth flag, Red Peak by Aaron Dustin, was added in late September in response to public pressure, sparked in part by disappointment with the shortlisted designs.



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The first postal referendum opened on 20 November, and asked voters to rank the five shortlisted alternative designs with the question: “If the New Zealand flag changes, which flag would you prefer?” Voters could vote for as many or as few flags as they wished.

Whichever of Lockwood’s designs is found to be the preferred alternative on Tuesday will be pitted against the current flag in a second and final postal referendum to be held from 3-24 March. That will ask voters to choose between change to the new flag or stick with the current one, and the result will be binding.

Burrows said from this point on the Flag Consideration Panel would fulfil an “informational role”. He added” “The whole dynamic will change now ... Some want to retain the current flag, others want to change.”