Illinoisans, our civic duty is not done. I know you’re exhausted and battle-scarred after voting in the presidential election, appointing a new congressional delegation and legislature and deciding whether Madison County should separate from the state. But there is one more task left to complete: voting for a new Illinois flag.
A 2023 law created a commission to make a recommendation about whether our current state flag should be replaced. The commission was supposed to make a report on this burning topic by Dec. 3, 2024, but recently called up Gov. JB Pritzker to say that the new job’s a hassle and the kids have the flu and, really, we’ve had the current flag for more than 100 years already anyway, so they got an extension to April 1.
That’s where you come in. The commission did get around to picking 10 proposed flag designs and putting up a website — apps.ilsos.gov/stateflag/ — where you can vote for your favorite. There’s even a choice to retain the existing flag. Personally, I think the option of “Nah, let’s skip it,” should be added to more Illinois ballots in the future.
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(Illinois Secretary of State)
Relationship to Illinois: Born and raised. From 1984-2002, I spent my childhood in central Illinois. I've lived and worked in Bloomington/Normal for 26 of my 40 years of life. My dad, sister, niece and the majority of my aunts and uncles are still here. All of my grandparents are buried here. I found out about this commission only days ago after spending two years abroad. I found this old design from 2016 just today. It needs work. It lacks our current eagle, perhaps to be placed in white silhouette above the star.
Explain the meaning behind your flag: This slice of Old Glory is also a nod to the French flag, banners that both stood here. A single star shines our contribution to the union. Abe's silhouette reminds us of our past. The red field highlights our present: Illinois' most iconic border, formed by the mighty Mississippi. It's steady flow, as progress itself, cuts through our banner in white, leading us ever to the future. The flag still lacks any representation of our Illiniwek and Miami heritage, which should be added by their progeny. (Illinois Secretary of State)
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Relationship to Illinois: As someone born, raised and educated in Illinois, I am proud to call Illinois home and plan to do so for life. I believe strongly that my character and view of the world as a citizen and as an architect has been shaped by the cultural, geographic, economic, historic and architectural diversity of our state.
Explain the meaning behind your flag: The four dark blue bars in this submission represent the four geographic features that hold the greatest geographic, economic and historic significance in the creation of Illinois: Lake Michigan, the Mississippi River, the Ohio River and the Chicago River/Illinois River system. The corn kernels and 21-pronged gear that form our state flower, the violet, represent the agricultural and industrial foundations of our state and its status as the 21st state admitted to the Union. (Illinois Secretary of State)
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Relationship to Illinois: I am 18 years old and a lifelong resident, born in Moline and living in Rock Island. My parents were also born and raised in this state.
Explain the meaning behind your flag: The flag is divided into seven stripes, in a pattern of white and blue alternating. The biggest blue stripe represents Lake Michigan, while the smaller blue stripes represent the state's various rivers, such as the Mississippi and the Illinois. The center blue stripe contains 20 smaller stars surrounding a center star, which represent Illinois as the 21st state. The small white stripes represent the state's industry and commerce, while the bigger white stripes represent the state's agriculture. (Illinois Secretary of State)
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Relationship to Illinois: The students who worked on this flag are high schoolers living in Illinois named Johnna and Spresalynn.
Explain the meaning behind your flag: The state butterfly, the monarch, is the focal point of this flag, which includes 21 stars for Illinois being the 21st state (the large star represents Illinois). The orange represents success, determination and creativity while the blue stands for trust, loyalty and sincerity and strength. (Illinois Secretary of State)
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Relationship to Illinois: I have lived in Illinois my entire life (40 years). I grew up in Naperville and then moved to Chicago, where I lived for about 18 years before moving to Des Plaines.
Explain the meaning behind your flag: My flag uses a silhouette design of the state of Illinois as the focal point. I always felt Illinois had a distinct outline. 21 stars circle the state to symbolize it being the 21st state to enter the Union. Additionally, I used the circular design to symbolize Illinois being a kind of center of the country, whether it is geographically or from Chicago serving as a hub for train and air traffic. Finally, the blue edges represent the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan, which flank the state. (Illinois Secretary of State)
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Relationship to Illinois: Ever since I was a kid, I've been proud to call Springfield my home. I come from generations of Illinoisans and have chosen to raise my family here as well. I've spent much of my life exploring the state and experiencing its wonders firsthand. What I've found is there is much to what makes Illinois great: our rich history, our landscape, our variety of people and the places they live. My designs reflect these qualities in a way that can hopefully inspire others to share my pride for my home.
Explain the meaning behind your flag: The outline of Abraham Lincoln symbolizes liberty, opportunity and the equality of all people. The outline of Illinois symbolizes the pride we share for our state. The circle of 21 stars represents our communal togetherness and honors our state being the 21st to join the U.S. The white star symbolizes Chicago and its upper-right location. Dark blue represents our blue-collar attitude and industrial power. Gold represents our prairie and agricultural history. White represents our bright spirit. (Illinois Secretary of State)
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Relationship to Illinois: In fall 2004, I lived in Chicago and was studying industrial design at UIC. My great-grandfather Harry James McCartney was an engraver in Chicago. He worked downtown at Sears, Roebuck and Co., where he illustrated and engraved images of lamps, heaters and other household accessories that were printed on the pages of the Sears mail-order catalogue. His father was James A. McCartney, a Civil War veteran from Illinois. He became the Illinois attorney general from 1881-1885.
Explain the meaning behind your flag: The 21 red and white stripes represent Illinois as the 21st state of this union. The blue field with the six-pointed white star represents Chicago. The negative space between the blue and white fields form the shape of an I to represent Illinois. (Illinois Secretary of State)
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Relationship to Illinois: My late wife Maureen Thomas (1952-2023) was born and raised in Oak Park.
Explain the meaning behind your flag: The idea of mine is simply an embellishment to the existing flag (helps to save money on an entire new design). Placing red and blue vertical bars on each end (with a narrow white stripe in between the colors) eliminates the 'seal-on-bedsheet' look. Not overly imaginative, but practical and economic. (Illinois Secretary of State)
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Relationship to Illinois: My connection to Illinois runs deep. My ancestors came from Ireland in the early 1900s and settled in Gridley, Ill., where they farmed corn and soybeans and raised livestock. My father grew up on that same farm, while my mother was raised in Champaign. They met at Illinois State University, where I also earned my Bachelor of Arts in graphic design. I've lived in Illinois my entire life, and its agricultural landscapes and small-town values make me proud to call Illinois home.
Explain the meaning behind your flag: The 21 stripes represent Illinois as the 21st state and reflect its agricultural roots, resembling rows of crops and the open prairie. Three six-pointed stars represent the state's three regions — northern, central and southern — and their 18 points reference Illinois' founding in 1818. A sun on the horizon, also featured on our current state flag, represents renewal. The colors — blue for unity, green for agriculture and yellow for a bright future — honor Illinois' history and natural beauty. (Illinois Secretary of State)
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Relationship to Illinois: I've lived here for nearly 10 years and have grown to love this state. It's an excellent place to settle down, with welcoming people who have always made me feel at home. From stunning city views to beautiful countryside, my appreciation for this state has deepened.
Explain the meaning behind your flag: A large gold star in the center draws attention, much like the standout features of our state. Gold symbolizes the richness in our state, people, land and views. A horizontal blue line symbolizes Lake Michigan, separating the sky from the rich land. Two smaller lines add a neat, elegant touch. The central circle abstractly represents the view from above Abraham Lincoln's hat. (Illinois Secretary of State)
(Illinois Secretary of State)
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Relationship to Illinois: Born and raised. From 1984-2002, I spent my childhood in central Illinois. I've lived and worked in Bloomington/Normal for 26 of my 40 years of life. My dad, sister, niece and the majority of my aunts and uncles are still here. All of my grandparents are buried here. I found out about this commission only days ago after spending two years abroad. I found this old design from 2016 just today. It needs work. It lacks our current eagle, perhaps to be placed in white silhouette above the star.
Explain the meaning behind your flag: This slice of Old Glory is also a nod to the French flag, banners that both stood here. A single star shines our contribution to the union. Abe's silhouette reminds us of our past. The red field highlights our present: Illinois' most iconic border, formed by the mighty Mississippi. It's steady flow, as progress itself, cuts through our banner in white, leading us ever to the future. The flag still lacks any representation of our Illiniwek and Miami heritage, which should be added by their progeny. (Illinois Secretary of State)
Our current flag is pretty OK. It’s the state seal: basically, an eagle eating a banner on a rock. The main problem is that Iowa’s flag also has an eagle eating a banner, and if there’s one thing Illinoisans won’t stand for, it’s being copied by Iowa. (By the way, since we entered into a treaty with Iowa to stop eagles from eating banners, the eagle population on the upper Mississippi has, ahem, soared.)
There are many good choices for a new flag, proposed by everyday Illinoisans from around the state with thoughtful essays about what a design represents. There’s a monarch butterfly and corn kernels and profiles of Honest Abe. Each deserves your consideration.
But it’s hard to represent the entire state in one flag. It would have been nice to fit in Wilmington’s Gemini Giant or a brick bungalow. And how could we forget the iconic property tax bill as a staple of Illinois living? I would enthusiastically salute a flag with a property tax bill, although I might not use all my fingers.
Voting is scheduled to run through Valentine’s Day. It will be a time of joyous civic engagement. Our forefathers predicted “bonfires and illuminations” on the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I predict endless chatter among co-anchors on TV about their favorite design before the newscasts get thrown to weather and sports. Since the rules allow you to vote once every 24 hours, I also predict bots that will drive the vote total above the state’s population.
This seems to be a rare example of a bipartisan election. Hopefully, it won’t devolve into bitterness and recrimination. As far as I know, political action committees have not been pouring in money. There have been no cutting pronouncements on social media by people with millions of followers. Let’s just keep this between ourselves, OK? Iowans don’t need to know. We don’t want to have to do this all over again when they steal our new design.
I realize that the choice of chicken or steak at your niece’s wedding reception has greater practical consequences than the design of the Illinois flag. But you should vote! At least it will keep you from mumbling incoherently when a tourist points up to the new flag and asks, “What’s that?”
Therefore, I call on all Illinoisans — from South Beloit to Cairo — to exercise your franchise. Frankly, your franchise could use a little toning up after the holidays. Madison County, stay with us until after the election. Your input is important, even if it feels a little like asking the ex to pick out the wallpaper. And Cook County, you know the drill. Early and often.
Mark Harris is a lawyer and lifelong Illinois resident, born in the Quad Cities and currently living in a Chicago suburb. When not fishing on the Kankakee River, he works with nonprofits, sings baritone in two choirs and tries to write mysteries.
