Mississippi commission selects proposed flag design ahead of public vote

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A Mississippi commission on Wednesday selected the final design proposal to replace the state's current flag after the legislature voted to retire it earlier this summer because of its inclusion of the Confederate battle emblem.

Mississippi voters will choose whether or not to embrace the new flag, which features a magnolia blossom surrounded by stars and the phrase "In God We Trust," on Election Day on Nov. 3.

Members of the public submitted nearly 3,000 entries for the new flag's design.

One of five final designs for the new Mississippi state flag flutters in the breeze, outside the Old Capitol Museum in Jackson, Miss., Aug. 25, 2020, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Magnolias were a popular design among the entries that included some more offbeat proposals for the flag like a teddy bear, Kermit the Frog and most memorably a giant mosquito that briefly made it as a semifinalist due to an error.

MISSISSIPPI FLAG COMMISSION UNVEILS 5 NEW DESIGNS TO REPLACE CONFEDERATE EMBLEM

Mississippi decided to remove the Confederate battle emblem this summer against the backdrop of nationwide protests that sparked a new conversation about systemic racism that is still woven into the fabric of the country.

By law, the new flag design cannot include the Confederate battle flag, and it must have the phrase, "In God We Trust."

The magnolia design is a combination of submissions from five people. The magnolia is in the center with 20 stars encircling it – representing Mississippi as the 20th state – with a dark blue background and red bars on each side.

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"What I wanted to do was show every Mississippian that there's a compromise out there, and we are the magnolia state," graphic designer Rocky Vaughan of Ackerman, Miss., who created the flag's overall design, said. "If it's appealing to the eyes, it will be accepted."

Fox News' Brie Stimson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.