Voting open for Illinois flag redesign
Friday, Jan 10, 2025 - Posted by Isabel Miller
* Illinois Flag Commission…
After reviewing more than 4,800 entries for the Illinois state flag redesign contest, the Illinois Flag Commission is excited to kick off the public voting period that will run through Feb. 14.
After the public voting period has ended, the votes will be counted and the results will be sent to the Illinois General Assembly. Your input during this period will help guide the General Assembly’s final decision on the future of our state’s flag later this year.
Click here to cast your vote! You can submit one vote every day.
Also, please tell us which flag you’re supporting.
- TJ - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 11:41 am:
The Abe/state in profile tricolor or bust, baby.
- Huh? - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 11:41 am:
Existing flag. None of the others were very appealing.
- @misterjayem - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 11:43 am:
Centennial flag all the way.
– MrJM
- DuPage - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 11:44 am:
The OG flag. There is no compelling reason to change it and this is a waste of governmental time and resources.
- Are Ya Kiddin Me? - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 11:46 am:
Ditto like Abe on the Flag!
- lake county democrat - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 11:48 am:
The fix is in! You have our current flag (yay!) and one that adds some thin vertical stripe borders - I actually like that a bit better but clearly they just want to split the vote in favor of the complete redesigns. So, I’m voting for the current flag in the hope of not only keeping it but sending a message this effort was completely unnecessary.
- JoanP - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 11:49 am:
I voted for the current flag. None of the others are good enough to warrant a change.
- Donnie Elgin - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 11:53 am:
voted to Retain the existing state flag - frankly I’m embarrassed by the other submissions.
- TJ - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 11:56 am:
== The OG flag. There is no compelling reason to change it and this is a waste of governmental time and resources. ==
Flags are meant to be symbols that unite a people. Borderline nobody cares about the current flag, and I’d frankly be willing to bet that you could host all the private, individual owners of an Illinois state flag in a very small school gym. Compare that to the millions of people that own and proudly display flags, or other items featuring the design, for Texas, California, New Mexico, or Maryland, just to name a few.
And to be honest, having a little something extra to try to unite people seems like an entirely worthwhile and harmless thing. And if successful, it’ll net a decent amount of money as well. So low-risk, high-reward move for Illinois.
- Pundent - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 11:57 am:
Voted for the flag with Abe and the state in silhouette. While we can debate whether or not a change is necessary, I think there are some cool choices here and I always thought our existing flag looks like it belongs in a coin.
- LM - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:01 pm:
I liked a few of them initially but I’ve been convinced to shift my “allegiance” to the Centennial flag
- H-W - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:04 pm:
Gee Donnie, lighten up. Embarrassment seems pretty reactionary. This is a first world issue, not a crisis. /jk
- NIU Grad - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:08 pm:
I was all-in to replace the flag if done correctly. I don’t agree with the “waste of time and money” argument, because our flag is part of the state image and the “external brand” that is tied to both resident pride and tourism image. But I’m going to vote for the current flag because the Commission and the GA really dropped the ball on this. The designs are all still in the draft stage and have not been refined to the level of quality required to be a final flag design. I would be embarrassed to see any of them on a flag post.
- Oopsie! - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:09 pm:
A missed opportunity to practice with ranked choice voting. Instead of just picking a favorite, participants could rank the choices first to last. That would give the General Assembly more informative public feedback.
- Denise - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:11 pm:
The first flag reminds me of the Japanese Oda Clan’s symbol.
- DuPage Saint - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:13 pm:
This is so typical Illinois you can vote and then vote again and again
I think I will vote for a different one each day that way I can say I voted for the winner
- grateful gayle - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:13 pm:
Existing flag
- Siualum - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:20 pm:
I voted for the original flag. While I like most of the other designs, some just don’t convey “State of Illinois” like the original, what with the word Illinois front and center.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:21 pm:
===what with the word Illinois front and center.===
The state had to add that because so few could identify the flag as being for Illinois.
Which shows you how bad the current flag is.
- Kevin Carhill - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:25 pm:
I voted for the present flag as I didn’t think it was broken. I like it has the name of the State. The traditional flag with the red and blue border embellishments looked nice too.
- I-55 Fanatic - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:27 pm:
My personal favorite of the bunch is the blue corncob/gear/flower one. But I feel forced to strategically vote for the Centennial flag because the current flag absolutely must be scrapped and I think the Centennial is the only good one that has a realistic chance of beating it.
- Steve Rogers - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:35 pm:
I voted for the Lincoln/state silhouette flag.
But I really wanted to vote for the Lincoln destroying the confederate flag with lasers coming out of his eyes.
- Aurora Asteroid - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:42 pm:
I voted for the original. The others don’t really look that good. Also, the state should not be wasting money on replacing the existing flag, especially with the severe budget deficit Illinois is facing.
- Just Thoughts - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:42 pm:
Centennial flag. Lincoln/state/gold stars is visually appealing, but not as simple as it should be. Absolute no thank you to the current flag and striped variation.
- Colonel Mustard - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:44 pm:
The Abe flag captures Illinois. Simple and elegant. Silhouette makes it clear it’s Illinois. Hat tip to Chicago.
- Ducky LaMoore - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 12:44 pm:
Voted for the field, sun and sky with the three stars. It’s bright. It really stuck out vs a bunch of dark blue or white flags.
- Norseman - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 1:01 pm:
=== The state had to add that because so few could identify the flag as being for Illinois. ===
And that tells the story about many of the choices. You need a cheat sheet to figure out the state they represent. If we change, I vote Abe. And yes I voted because that flag will be flying from a flagpole a short distance from my grave.
- Just Another Anon - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 1:07 pm:
Bird on a bedsheet, now and forever
- We've never had one before - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 1:17 pm:
>>>>:> The first flag reminds me of the Japanese Oda Clan’s symbol.
the page displays in a random order. The first one for you is not the first one for me.
- Frida's Boss - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 1:18 pm:
Voted to keep it the same.
Some of the flags may be a bit better than what we currently have, but this isn’t legislation where they can do a trailer bill.
In this instance, perfect should be the enemy of the good.
If none are popping out like, “damn, that’s amazing and is truly Illinois”, it should stay the same.
- Original Rambler - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 1:19 pm:
#9. I also liked the idea of an Abe silhouette and that one is a little more muted. I also liked the extra bright star for Chicago.
- danray - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 1:27 pm:
The existing flag with the red, white and blue bars on each side.
- Pot calling kettle - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 1:28 pm:
Voted for the field, sun and sky with the three stars.
This is the most unique flag of the bunch. If we want a flag that stands out from the rest (of this bunch and the other states), this meets that test.
I do like some of the Abe flags, but their color schemes are boring.
- KSDinCU - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 1:30 pm:
I voted to keep the current flag, even though I don’t like it. None of the new designs stands above the rest, and I am 100% sure there were some better submissions that were passed over.
- Leap Day William - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 1:54 pm:
== Voted for the field, sun and sky with the three stars. This is the most unique flag of the bunch. If we want a flag that stands out from the rest (of this bunch and the other states), this meets that test. ==
Make that three votes for the Field of Green flag, for all these reasons.
- Responsa - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 1:57 pm:
Current flag gets my vote. The effort to change seems like busy work - completely unnecessary, costly and inefficient to replace every single Illinois state flag that is owned and flown in Illinois. However if a change is made I hope the Lincoln version is the one that prevails.
- Rich Miller - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 2:00 pm:
===costly and inefficient to replace every single Illinois state flag that is owned and flown in Illinois===
I mean, how many can that really be? 500? A thousand?
They wear out, they get replaced. The cost thing is a red herring.
- Phineas - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 2:13 pm:
Slice of Old Glory / Abe+ Mississippi profile. The most unique relative to other state flags, and I like the nod to France (Illin-wah, right?) I like it enough I’m going to vote every day
- Friendly Bob Adams - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 2:43 pm:
Voted to keep the current flag. None of the others are appealing.
- Been There - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 2:43 pm:
Voted for the current one. Some of the proposed ones were ok but I just don’t see the need along with I do like the current one. I agree the lettering could be bigger but I didn’t submit a design so…
- Center Drift - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 2:46 pm:
I have a better idea, get a new vehicle plate design.
- H-W - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 3:04 pm:
I voted for a new flag. As I see it, we already have a state seal, so a flag that simply reproduces the seal is not very creative or imaginative. While I do like our seal (and hence our current flag), having another means by which to symbolize Illinois shows creative spirit and modernity.
- H-W - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 3:05 pm:
@ Center Drift
We just did that.
- Flyin'Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Friday, Jan 10, 25 @ 3:19 pm:
Abe and the western border.
Just looks slick.