Voting Begins for New Zealanders to Choose a New National Flag

The first of two postal referendums starts with Kiwis voting on their preferred alternative flag from five options.

Prime Minister John Key has said the current flag is not representative of modern New Zealand.

Fiji is running a similar competition to replace its own flag, which also now features the Union Jack.

However, Key claimed that polling indicates most New Zealanders would rather keep the existing flag, BBC reported.

After the voting ends, a second vote will reportedly take place in 2016 to consider if the existing flag should be replaced with the new design.

The Electoral Commission aims to announce the official result of this first referendum on 15 December. The late contender was added to line up following a social media campaign for its inclusion.

A UMR Research poll of 1000 people released last month found the red and blue fern design by Kyle Lockwood was the most popular of the new offerings, followed by a black and blue version of the same design.

“Anyone who believes the referendum process is flawed should cast a protest vote by writing “KOF” or “Keep Our Flag” on the ballot paper”.

Deputy Prime Minister Bill English urged people to select a flag they felt represented “New Zealand’s proud, pioneering past and its exciting, ambitious future”.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”, he said.

Over the past year, public interest in the flag debate appears to have been rising, with new and old designs flying outside houses, businesses and shops.

“Very few governments around the world ever ask their citizens for their views on the design of their national flag”.

The present flag was adopted in the early 1900s amid patriotic fervour in New Zealand over sending soldiers to fight in the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa.