Illinois Wants You to Design a New State Flag?

Starting next week the Illinois State Flag Commission is accepting submissions for a new state flag design.

The commission is looking for ideas and designs from the residents of Illinois.

The Illinois house or Representatives passed a bill last year, and the state senate followed on forming a new state flag commission.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias says that the commission will work with schools and libraries to let Illinoisans know about the submission process. You’ll have from Tuesday Sept 3rd until Friday October 18^th  to share and submit your design and ideas.

So what images evoke what Illinois is? What should represent the people, ideals and land of Lincoln? Urban city skylines? Rural corn and wheat fields? Our state flower (the blue violet) or the state bird (cardinal)? The state nickname (The Prairie State)? Corn, pumpkins, the bean, Chicago dogs?

Following the submission deadline the commission will whittle the entries down to ten.

Starting in January and continuing for two months next year can see the finalists and are encouraged to vote for your favorite, or you can also vote to keep the current flag that has flown over Illinois since 1915.

Giannoulias said “The symbols that represent and unify our state are important, and this presents an opportunity to engage Illinoisans and showcase their pride.”

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Other great lake states have begun to enlist their citizenry in an effort to redesign their state’s flag. Minnesota did so last year and Michigan is considering the process too.

More info and guidelines can be found at the Illinois State flag commission page.