Editor's Note: The video in this story is from a previous report.
After thousands of submissions, 10 finalists and nearly 385,000 votes, the state of Illinois may not have a new flag after all.
"The results are, let's just say, overwhelming," Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulious said in an Instagram video announcing the news. "The current state flag received more than 165,000 votes, or about 43% of the total vote."
Earlier this year, the public had the chance to vote on 10 new designs -- finalists from more than 5,000 entries -- that could become the new Illinois State Flag. The contest came after the creation of SB1818, which created an Illinois Flag Commission to "gauge public desire for a new flag."
Also included in public voting was the current state flag, along with three previous design versions.
The voting period concluded in February. As stated in the bill, members of the General Assembly, taking results of the vote into account, would have the final say on whether to adopt a new flag, return to a previous iteration or retain the current one.
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“Some may call it an SOB – a seal on a bedsheet," Giannoulias said in the announcement. "The vexillogical community may hate it, but people overwhelmingly prefer our current state flag. Thank you to everyone who made their voice heard on the future of this important symbol of state pride.”
The results aren't yet official. By April 1, the commission must prepare and deliver to the General Assembly a report detailing its findings and recommendations. Lawmakers will then vote on whether to adopt a new flag, reinstate an old one or keep the previous one, the Secretary of State's office said.
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What did the Illinois flag finalists look like?
The 10 Illinois flag finalists, not including the current version of the flag, Illinois' 1918 Centennial Flag and the state's 1968 Sesquicentennial flag, are below, along with how many votes each entry received.
What does Illinois' current state flag look like?
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, which 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.
