Illinois’ current state flag has remained largely unchanged for more than a century, but Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker paved the way to a new banner for the Land of Lincoln by signing a bill this week.
The Illinois Flag Commission will have a monumental task ahead of it, combing through nearly 5,000 entries for a redesigned state banner.
According to Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, nearly 5,000 submissions were collected during a contest to redesign the state’s flag, and the commission will be tasked with narrowing that field down to just 10 prior to the opening of a public voting period early next year.
“It’s the first time in more than 100 years that the Illinois flag is getting a makeover,” Giannoulias said.
Giannoulias said that in addition to the 10 banners that will go up for vote, participants will also have the option of keeping the state’s current flag. The secretary called the contest a “great and fun opportunity” for state residents to help identify a flag that best embodies what the state of Illinois stands for.
According to the act, once the public vote concludes next year, a report will be submitted to the General Assembly determining whether or not the state should replace or revise its current flag.
Once that decision is made, the General Assembly will make the final determination on a new banner by the end of next year.
The current flag design was made official in 1970, with slight alterations to a design that had been approved in 1915.
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