Mississippi - A Mississippi opinion poll has found that two-thirds of voters back the retention of the state's old flag, which incorporates the Confederate battle-flag, Patrick Smyth reports. A referendum choice between the old flag and a new one, featuring 20 stars in a circle, will be put to voters next Tuesday.
The poll, conducted by Mississippi State University, reflects a 10-percentage-point swing to the old flag since the last reliable poll a month ago. While a majority of the state's blacks favour the new flag, some 30 per cent do not.