JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - The Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) is accepting designs for the state’s new flag.

In late June, state lawmakers retired the existing state flag, which featured a Confederate battle emblem.

As part of the bill to retire the flag, a commission will be created to design a new state flag.

The commission will comprise nine members. Gov. Tate Reeves, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and House Speaker Philip Gunn will each appoint three members no later than Wednesday, July 15.

The MDAH is providing clerical support for the commission.

The commission must provide its recommendation for the new flag no later than Sept. 14.

Mississippi voters will then either approve or vote against the new design in November’s election.

If the design receives a majority approval, the design will be used. If the design does not receive majority approval, the commission would then present a new design, and the election process would repeat.

Criteria

• Only unique flag design submissions that include the words “In God We Trust” will be considered by the nine-member commission. Flag descriptions will not be considered.
• The new flag design cannot include the Confederate battle flag.
• Flag design submissions must adhere to principles of the North American Vexillological Association:
  • Keep It Simple. The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.
  • Use Meaningful Symbolism. The flag’s images, color, or patterns should relate to what it symbolizes.
  • Use Two or Three Basic Colors.
  • Be Distinctive or Be Related.

The deadline for submissions was Aug. 1. (date corrected on Aug. 4)

Open this link for submission instructions.