SPRINGFIELD – The public voting period for the Illinois state flag redesign contest has kicked off and will run through Feb. 14. Illinoisans can choose to vote for one of the Illinois Flag Commission’s Top 10 new designs, or one of three former flag designs, including the current one.
“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 will conduct the public vote. “The public feedback received during this period will help guide the General Assembly’s final decision on the future of our state’s flag later this year.”
Public voting is available at www.ilsos.gov/stateflag.
Participating Illinoisans can vote for:
– One of the Illinois Flag Commission’s Top 10 flag designs
– Retaining the existing state flag
– Or reinstating Illinois’ 1918 centennial flag or 1968 sesquicentennial flag.
Members of the public can vote for one flag once every 24-hour period. Individuals with multiple favorite submissions may select a different flag each day. Participants are encouraged to review their vote carefully before submitting, as their selection cannot be altered after a vote is cast.
After the public voting period has ended, the Illinois Flag Commission will count the votes and report its findings and recommendations to the Illinois General Assembly by April 1, 2025. Members of the General Assembly will then vote on whether to adopt a new flag, return to a previous iteration of the flag 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, creating the commission to gauge public desire for a new flag. The commission selected its Top 10 finalists in December from the 4,844 entries it received during the six-week submission period that closed in October.
The flag designs eligible for public voting can be viewed here.
