New Zealand Prime Minister John Key is delighted at the preliminary result of the first flag referendum but asked people not to abstain from voting because they don't like him.
Kyle Lockwood's black and blue Southern Cross silver fern design got 50.53 per cent of the votes in the preliminary results of the first referendum, pipping the same design in blue and red on 49.47 per cent.
The official result will be announced on Tuesday and will include postal votes.
About 3.1 million voting forms were sent out by the Electoral Commission with 48.16 per cent returned.
The prime minister said he was delighted with the turnout and result, even though more than 150,000 people informally or invalidly voted.
"Some people were always going to send in a protest vote. That's the nature of the referendum that we're having," he told reporters on Saturday.
"I don't take too much out of that.
"Even if you don't like me, if you want a new flag I'd still encourage you to vote for it."
The winner of the first referendum will take on the Union Jack NZ flag in a second referendum in March next year.
HOW KIWIS RANKED THE FLAGS:
1) Black and blue Southern Cross silver fern - 552,827
2) Blue and red Southern Cross silver fern - 574,364
3) Red peak - 119,672
4) Black and white silver fern - 77,802
5) Black and white koru - 51,879
* Source Electoral Commission preliminary first preference referendum votes.
