Maine voters could decide on state’s next flag

PORTLAND (WGME) -- Mainers could head to the polls this fall to decide on a new state flag. The choice is to either keep the current blue flag or change it to an interpretation of the original 1901 version. Every week, Maine Flag Company makes 125 sewn products and 25 different types of flags. The one seen flying from many Maine homes is one of them. Contrary to popular belief, that flag wasn’t designed more than 120 years ago; it was created just eight years ago. “We don’t really have an original flag from 1901,” Maine Flag Company Co-Owner Bethany Field said. “That artifact doesn’t exist.“ Field says all that was left behind was a description of a tan flag with a pine tree in the center and a polar star. This flag created in 2015 is the company’s interpretation of that. Field says there are many variations of the flag that have been created. Her company used a different one 10 years ago, based on the 1939 flag. “We actually started with Maine’s other flag,” Field said. “The Maine merchant and marine flag.“ Mainers might get to vote on what the state flag should be. A referendum question could be on November’s ballot asking if Mainers want to replace the current flag. The official design of what a new flag could look like is still up for debate. It could look similar to Maine Flag Company’s depiction, or it could look a little more lifelike. That’s up to the secretary of state. “One company utilizes the more modern looking version of the 1939 tree,” Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said. “Another company utilizes a more lifelike version.“ “I’ve seen this flag on more houses and other iterations throughout the state,“ Rep. Sean Paulhus (D-Bath) said. Field agrees and says the current flag is a little bland. “Right now, it sort of blends into another 12 or 14 flags that look very similar,“ Field said. The house and senate have both passed a bill on the language of the referendum question. Now it goes to the governor’s office. If she signs it, it will be on the November ballot. For more Maine stories, visit .