Question 5: State Flag

Results

This measure did not pass.

The gist

This measure would restore a version of the old Pine Tree Flag that was selected as part of a contest.¹

Ballot question

An Act to Restore the Former State of Maine Flag, Do you favor making the former state flag, replaced as the official flag of the State in 1909 and commonly known as the Pine Tree Flag, the official flag of the State?¹

Tell me more

People have been flying unofficial versions of the Pine Tree Flag for years. This would make it the official flag. In 2023, the state legislature passed legislation allowing this referendum question to see whether citizens want the new flag.²

Follow the money

The costs to change flags would be absorbed into existing budgets.¹

Pros

The primary arguments for this referendum are:

• The Pine Tree Flag is simpler and more recognizable than the current flag.
• Maine is the pine tree state, so the new flag would reflect that.

Cons

The primary arguments against this referendum are:

• Some think the Pine Tree Flag design looks amateurish.
• The new design doesn’t include as many aspects of Maine’s history, such as farming and fishing, as the old one does. ³

Who cares

There is no registered support or opposition to this measure.

Further reading

• Full text
• Ballotpedia article
• Portland Press Herald article

References

1. Bellows, Shenna. Maine Citizen’s Guide to the Referendum Election. Accessed September 29, 2024. ↩ ↩² ↩³

2. Ohm, Rachel. At long last, Mainers could vote for a new state flag. Here’s everything you need to know.. Portland Press Herald. Accessed September 29, 2024. ↩

3. Bouchard, Kelley. Unfurling the facts in the 1901 Maine state flag debate. Portland Press Herald. Accessed September 29, 2024. ↩