The public voting period for the Illinois state flag redesign contest has officially begun and will run until February 14th. Illinois residents are invited to cast their votes for one of the Illinois Flag Commission’s Top 10 new designs or choose from three former flag designs, including the current state flag.
“Now is the time to make your voice heard, and I encourage folks to join the process by voting for the flag that they feel best represents our great state,” said Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose office is overseeing the public vote. “The feedback we receive will guide the General Assembly’s final decision on the future of our state’s flag later this year.”
Voting is accessible at www.ilsos.gov/stateflag.
Participants can vote for:
One of the Illinois Flag Commission’s Top 10 flag designs
Retaining the existing state flag
Reinstating Illinois’ 1918 centennial flag or 1968 sesquicentennial flag
Each voter can select one flag every 24 hours. Those with multiple favorites may choose a different design each day. It’s important for participants to carefully review their selection, as votes cannot be changed once submitted.
Once the voting period concludes, the Illinois Flag Commission will tally the votes and provide its findings and recommendations to the Illinois General Assembly by April 1, 2025. The General Assembly will then decide whether to adopt a new flag, revert to a previous version, or retain the current flag.
Senate Bill 1818, sponsored by State Senator Doris Turner (48th District—Springfield) and State Representative Kam Buckner (26th District—Chicago), was signed into law by Governor JB Pritzker in 2023, establishing the commission to gauge public interest in a new flag. The commission selected its Top 10 finalists in December from a pool of 4,844 entries submitted during the six-week submission window that closed in October. Notably, two students from Fairfield Community High School, Spresalynn Tipps and Johna Kinney, are among the top 10 finalists with their design, number 4321.
For more information on the eligible flag designs, please visit here.
Comments