Mainers reject proposal to resurrect the state’s original flag

Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Mainers have turned back a proposal to resurrect the state’s original flag. Residents on Tuesday voted to retain the existing blue flag instead of adopting a flag that tracks closely with the state’s first flag — a simple pine tree and blue North Star. Versions of the original flag used from 1901 to 1909 gained popularity during the state’s bicentennial in 2020, appearing on hats, sweatshirts and soon license plates. In another Maine vote, Sagadahoc County residents chose to retain their current sheriff over a challenger after both faced tough questions over the department’s interactions with an Army reservist who killed 18 people.