Illinois may be getting a new state flag, with residents able to choose from a total of 13 banner designs beginning this month.
Nearly 5,000 entries were submitted to the Illinois Flag Commission, with 10 new designs making it to a public ballot, according to state officials.
Those flags, along with previous Illinois flags and the state’s current banner, will go up for a public vote, with the commission set to make their recommendations to the state’s General Assembly later in 2025.
“Having received nearly 5,000 entries, I appreciate the creativity and passion reflected in all the submissions,” said Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose office convened the Flag Commission meetings.
More information on the inspiration of each of the designs can be found on the Illinois Flag Commission’s website.
Voters will also be given the option of keeping the state’s existing flag. The state’s special Centennial Flag, which features a total of 21 stars and a blue stripe on a white flag, will also be up for vote, as will the Sesquicentennial Flag, a dark-blue banner with a large I surrounded by 21 stars.
Under provisions of SB 1818, voters will get an opportunity to choose between the flag designs published by the committee, but the final say on whether the state will adopt a new banner, and which banner will fly over the Capitol, belongs to the General Assembly.
Illinois’ current flag incorporates the state’s official seal, which was adopted in 1869. The flag itself was adopted in 1915, with a small addition of the state’s name added in 1970, according to the Flag Commission’s website.
Numerous states have adopted new flags in recent years, including Minnesota, who designed and unveiled a new banner in 2024.
Mississippi and Utah have also unveiled new flags, though other states have made minor changes to their designs or have codified specific standards for their banners.
Rankings of state flags have routinely put Illinois on the lower end of the list, with critics pointing to the state’s use of the official seal rather than a unique design.
