The four alternative flag designs for inclusion in the New Zealand flag referendum later this year have been revealed.

The designs were unveiled at a media conference in Wellington this morning and will go forward into the first referendum, which begins in November.

Photo: Supplied.

All Kiwis registered to vote are being asked to take part, and will be asked to rank the four flag alternatives selected by the panel.

Referendum one runs from November 20 to December 11, and rather than picking one favourite design, voters will be asked to rank the four options from most preferred to least preferred.

The four designs are:

Silver Fern (Black & White), designed by Alofi Kanter from Auckland.

Silver Fern (Red, White and Blue), designed by Kyle Lockwood, originally from Wellington.

Koru, designed by Andrew Fyfe from Wellington.

Silver Fern (Black, White and Blue), also designed by Kyle Lockwood.

The preferred alternative design will then go up against the current flag in a second referendum between March 3 and March 24, 2016.

Following this process, the design with the most votes will then be named the official flag of New Zealand.

Flag Consideration Panel chair, Professor John Burrows, said: "'Interestingly, reviewing the flag designs long listed in detail and in real-life contexts helped shape the panel's decision making.

"For example, there are practical matters such as how they look from a long distance, how they look from both sides, when flying (or still), in situations where they may hang vertically, and so on."

To check you eligibility to vote, you can check or update your details on the elections website here, or call: 0800 36 76 56.

The process is a postal referendum, and all voting papers will be sent out in the mail.