Illinois Residents Vote on New State Flag Design
The state of Illinois recently held a public vote on the future of its state flag. Following a statewide design competition and months of anticipation, voters ultimately showed strong support for keeping the current flag.
From January 1 to February 29, 2025, Illinois residents participated in an online vote that included ten finalist designs selected by the Illinois Flag Commission, as well as three historical options: the current Illinois flag, the Centennial flag, and the Sesquicentennial flag. The vote was non-binding, but intended to guide the Illinois General Assembly in its final decision.
On March 6, 2025, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced the results: the current Illinois flag received 43% of the total 383,000 votes, more than any other individual option. None of the proposed new designs surpassed 10% each. “Some may call it an SOB—a seal on a bedsheet—and the vexillological community may hate it, but people overwhelmingly prefer our current state flag,” Giannoulias wrote on social media.
The results now move to the Illinois General Assembly, which will make the final decision on whether to retain the current flag or move forward with a redesign.
> Read about other US states that have recently changed their flags
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