QUESTION 5: 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?

As Sunday columnist Victoria Hugo-Vidal observed recently: “It’s kind of nice to just be voting on a flag.”

And that it is. We’ll take it a step further: It’s kind of nice to be voting for a new and more visually arresting and appealing state flag.

In our conversations about the flag, we on the editorial board noted that we would not be supportive of Question 5 if it spelled the end of the road for the Maine state seal. We’re satisfied that that piece of official history (and its resident farmer, scythe, seaman and anchor) will live on, administratively, in statute and in other ways.

We also couldn’t have been in favor of a state flag design so new that it was brand new; as voters are by now very well aware, the design up for consideration is a version of the 1901 Maine state flag (in place until 1909). Not only does it pay homage to that time, it offers Maine a crisp, readily identifiable alternative to fly long into the present century. It will complement the new pine tree license plate, which takes the place of the chickadee next year.

Any reservations? A handful. For some tree devotees, the shape of the illustrated boughs come closer to a spruce than to a pine. We’ve also been sympathetic to the suggestion by people outside of the city that this smacks as a trendy “Portland thing.” Cost – financial and environmental – is also a concern. We hope that any exuberance over the change won’t interfere with the state’s pledge to gradually, mindfully phase the new flag in.

On balance, we are glad to lend our support for a cleaner, more bold flag.