Illinois could soon see a new state flag as part of a contest from the Illinois Secretary of State, which was whittled to 10 entries from nearly 5,000.
Illinois may be getting a new state flag next year, thanks to a public vote on 10 new flag design proposals that is scheduled for January.
Nearly 5,000 entries were submitted to the Illinois Flag Commission, with 10 of the entries making it to the public ballot.
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.
Here are the 10 designs chosen by the commission:
More information on the inspiration of each of the designs can be found on the Illinois Flag Commission’s website.
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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.
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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.
