Illinois Flag Design Contest Opens For Submissions To Replace 'Seal On A Bedsheet'

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Starting Tuesday, a recently constituted state commission is accepting submissions for potential new designs of the Illinois state flag.

So far this year, a pair of U.S. states have already adopted new flags, and voters in another are due to vote on returning to an earlier design in November.

Anyone can submit designs to the Illinois Flag Commission, online or via mail, through Oct. 18.

The commission, which held its first meeting last month, was created by state legislation that passed in August 2023 and amended earlier this month to postpone its deadlines.

The commission is chaired by the secretary of state and composed of the chairperson of the Illinois State Museum Board, the state superintendent of education and 19 people appointed by the governor or state legislative leaders, according to the law.

"For the first time in more than half a century, Illinois is getting a new state flag, and we're asking for your help," Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a video announcement.

That's not necessarily true, according to Giannoulias's own website, which explains that the commission will select 10 finalists and open it up to public voting for six weeks starting on Jan. 1.

"After public feedback, the commission will report its findings to the Illinois General Assembly," the commission's site explains," whose members will vote on whether to adopt a new flag or retain the current flag design."

General guidelines for submission do not include a limit on the shape or ratio of the flag, nor on the number of colors but, curiously, they "recommended less than three colors for clarity of design."

Every submission must be associated to a name, address, email address and phone number, and each person is limited to three entries. Each must also be accompanied by an explanation of its creator's relationship to Illinois and a description of the entry of up to 500 words.

Once submitted, they become state property and are subject to change. Forbidden: watermarks, frames, copyrighted materials, files larger than 5 megabytes and AI-generated artwork.

The essential design of current Illinois flag — the state seal on a white background — was adopted in 1915. Lucy Derwent submitted it for a contest sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

It was updated in 1969 after Waverly resident Bruce McDaniel, then a chief petty officer deployed to the war in Vietnam, suggested state lawmakers update the flag because people never recognized it when it was hung alongside others at his mess hall.

Lawmakers added "Illinois" in all capital letters below the seal. Nonetheless, critics have labeled Illinois' flag as a "seal on a bedsheet," a term used by vexillologists (those who study flags) to describe state flags that lack distinctive and meaningful design elements.

Centennial and sesquicentennial flags were developed in 1918 and 1968, but neither of them replaced the white banner. State officials did not bother coming up with a new flag for the state's bicentennial before it was commemorated in 2018.

A 2001 survey by the North American Vexillogical Association ranked Illinois as 49th out of 72 flags of U.S. and Canadian states, provinces and territories.

The low ranking of the state flag contrasts with the results of a survey the association conducted of municipal flags in 2004, which found Chicago's second only to Washington, D.C.

Two states have formally adopted new flags so far this year, and another is set to vote on the adoption of a new flag this fall.

Utah’s redesign, which became official in March 2024, replaced the old state seal on a blue background with a more simplified and distinctive design featuring a beehive—a symbol of the state’s history and industry. The change followed more than 7,000 submissions and extensive public input.

Minnesota officially adopted its new flag in May, opting for a new design that better represents the state’s identity as the “North Star State” following a redesign process involved more than 2,600 submissions.

And earlier this month, Maine unveiled the winning design of from its own flag redesign contest, which sought to come up with a modernized version of the flag the state used from 1901 to 1909 following last year's narrow passage of "An Act to Restore the Former State of Maine Flag."

Mainers voting in November will be asked, "Do you favor making the former state flag, replaced as the official flag of the State in 1909 and commonly known as the Pine Tree Flag, the official flag of the State?"

Recent flag design contests in Illinois have focused on student designers. A then-student at Glenbrook South High School designed the new Cook County flag, which was adopted in 2022. And an Evanston first-grader came up with a new flag for the north suburb.

The bill creating the Illinois Flag Commission last year passed 72-40 in the House and 39-16 in the Senate, overcoming opposition from Republicans in Springfield.

"This is a great opportunity to ensure our flag truly embodies Illinois and celebrates our great state," he said.

Giannoulias, who also serves as the "keeper" of the Great Seal of Illinois, said anyone can submit their design idea to the commission.

"I strongly encourage anyone who is interested," he said, "to let your creativity flow and run your idea up the flagpole."