While Michigan isn't undertaking a redesign of its state flag, a recent poll suggested Michiganders could embrace its Mackinac Island "fudgies" or seemingly constant roadwork if a new banner were designed today.
The survey of 49 states by nationwide casino supplier Custom Made Casino found Mackinac Island fudge, along with a pothole and an orange construction barrel, ranked as the top choices among those polled for a potential Michigan state flag logo.
The company noted most flags were designed decades or centuries ago, back when a seal, a motto, and something that looked dignified on a courthouse lawn was plenty.
"Identity doesn't sit still the way a flag does, though, as places change and reputations shift. Industries rise and fall, cities sprawl,
and cultural shorthand ends up carrying more weight than anything a legislature ever put on paper," the company noted.
Custom Made Casino surveyed 3,016 Americans, asking what their state flag should look like if someone redesigned it right now, for the modern era.
"What this survey shows is that people think about state identity in a much more modern, everyday way. They did not necessarily reach for grand historic symbols. They picked the foods, frustrations, habits, stereotypes, and local details that feel instantly recognizable now. That kind of instant recognition is exactly what strong branding is meant to achieve," said Adam Marks, Custom Made Casino founder.
"None of this is especially serious, but it points to something real: the way people identify with a place has gotten more casual, more visual, and a lot more tied to daily life than to anything official," the company said.
Michigan isn't likely to actually redesign its flag. In November 2024, state Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-East Grand Rapids, introduced House Bill 6190 to adopt and prescribe the design of a state coat of arms and state flag. The bill went nowherein the Legislature before the end of the term.
Here's what to know about poll results on Michigan state flag ideas.
What is Michigan's current state flag design?
Michigan's state flag is a blue background featuring the state's coat of arms, a design dating back to 1865, according to the state of Michigan.
The coat of arms includes a moose and elk, the bald eagle, and three Latin phrases: "Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam, Circumspice" is Michigan's state motto (meaning "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you"). The seal also says E Pluribus Unum and Tuebor ("from many one," and "I will defend").
What did a poll show as Michigan flag ideas?
The top three ideas selected in Custom Made Casino's poll for a potential new Michigan state flag are Mackinac Island fudge, a pothole cone and an orange construction barrel, with Mackinac Island fudge as the top choice, the survey said.
Where can you get Mackinac Island fudge?
Nearly every downtown Mackinac Island food shop and hotel offers some version of fudge for visiting "fudgies." Some of the best-known include:
- Original Murdick's Fudge
- Ryba's Fudge Shops
- Joann's Fudge
- Marshall's Fudge & Chocolate Company
- Murray Hotel
- Kilwins
- Sanders on Mackinac
- May's Fudge and Candy Shop
How bad are Michigan's roads?
Orange construction barrels and pothole cones are familiar sights to Michiganders, with the Michigan Department of Transportation managing road construction projects each year. An online interactive map offers a look at current construction across the state.
Among Michigan's many construction projects, its state capital, Lansing, is dealing with road work on several major arteries. Old U.S. 27 is being repaved on the north side of the city, and a section of U.S. 127 south of Interstate 69 is torn up in Ingham and Clinton counties. In addition, Interstate 96, west of Lansing, is down to one lane for a major project.
In metro Detroit, ongoing work includes a section of Beech Daly Road closed in Redford Township and the second year of the Interstate 696 construction project, with additional ramps set to open in August and into the fall. Interstate 94 is seeing a major reconstruction project that will rebuild nearly 13 miles with work lasing until 2028.
What state flag logos were chosen for U.S. states?
Here are the top state flag logo ideas picked for the 49 surveyed states:
- Alabama: a college football helmet
- Alaska: a cruise ship
- Arizona: a retiree golf cart
- Arkansas: a college football helmet
- California: an avocado toast plate
- Colorado: a craft IPA can
- Connecticut: a coal-fired pizza
- Delaware: a beach chair
- Florida: an HOA golf cart
- Georgia: an airport suitcase
- Hawaii: a poke bowl
- Idaho: a fancy fry cone
- Illinois: a Chicago orange parking envelope
- Indiana: a basketball hoop
- Iowa: a state fair ticket
- Kansas: a pair of ruby slippers
- Kentucky: a bourbon trail tasting glass
- Louisiana: a string of Mardi Gras beads
- Maine: a slice of blueberry pie
- Maryland: a Beltway brake light
- Massachusetts: a biotech lab coat
- Michigan: a piece of Mackinac Island fudge
- Minnesota: a puffer jacket
- Mississippi: a blues bar neon sign
- Missouri: a square of butter cake
- Montana: an Airbnb cabin
- Nebraska: a Cornhusker hoodie
- Nevada: a $22 cocktail receipt
- New Hampshire: a flannel jacket
- New Jersey: a full-service gas pump
- New Mexico: an alien
- New York: a $3,000 studio floor plan
- North Carolina: a basketball hoop
- North Dakota: a Bakken oil pump jack
- Ohio: a "Hell Is Real" billboard
- Oregon: a rain jacket with no umbrella
- Pennsylvania: rocky at the top of the steps
- Rhode Island: a beach chair
- South Carolina: a bag of boiled peanuts
- South Dakota: an RV campground
- Tennessee: a pedal tavern
- Texas: a suburban mega truck
- Utah: a dirty soda
- Vermont: a muddy hiking boot
- Virginia: a data center
- Washington: an Amazon delivery van
- West Virginia: a cabin rental keycode
- Wisconsin: a Culver's frozen custard cup
- Wyoming: a cowboy hat with the price tag still on it
How did Custom Made Casino compile the survey?
Custom Made Casino, a New York-based casino brand, polled 3,016 people across 49 states in July 2026, and asked how their state flag should look if it were to be redesigned for modern times, per the survey.
Detroit Free Press and Lansing State Journal contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Should Michigan put piece of fudge on state flag? What survey suggests
