New Illinois Flag Design Proposals Revealed by State Officials – NBC Chicago

From nearly 5,000 submissions, officials have narrowed their list down to 10 new design suggestions for the Illinois flag that the public can vote on early next year.

The Illinois Flag Commission has announced its 10 candidates for the public vote, which officials say will take place in January.

These flags, along with previous Illinois flags and the state’s current banner, will be put up for a public vote, with the commission presenting its recommendations to the state General Assembly later in 2025.

“After receiving nearly 5,000 submissions, I appreciate the creativity and passion reflected in all of the submissions,” said Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, whose office convened the Flag Commission meetings.

Here are the 10 designs selected by the commission:

Photos: Design proposals for the Illinois flag released by the Commission

For more information about the inspiration behind each design, visit the Illinois Flag Commission website.

Under the terms of SB 1818, voters will have the opportunity to choose between flag designs published by the committee, but the final say on whether the state adopts a new banner and which banner will fly over the Capitol rests with the General Assembly.

The current Illinois flag bears the official state seal, which was adopted in 1869. The flag itself was adopted in 1915, with a small addition of the state’s name 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, although other states have made minor changes to their designs or set specific standards for their banners.

In state flag rankings, Illinois regularly lands at the bottom of the list, with critics pointing to the state’s use of the official seal rather than a unique design.