The state of Illinois wants to re-design its flag and you can help do that.
The Illinois Flag Commission is now accepting public submissions both online and through regular mail.
Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias says they will select ten designs based on how they reflect the identity of Illinois. Voting will begin Jan. 1 and last six weeks.
Residents will vote on the ideas online or can also vote on whether to keep the current flag.
General guidance on the creation of the flag includes no limit on flag shape or ratio but designs may be edited by the commission and no limit on colors but recommended less than three colors for clarity of design.
After that, the Illinois General Assembly will vote on whether to adopt a new flag or retain the current flag one.
Illinois is the latest state to consider changing its flag as more states move away from the derisively nicknamed “seal on a bedsheet” design.
Utah and Minnesota both adopted new flags earlier this year. Mississippi adopted a new flag to remove confederate imagery in 2021, something its neighbor Georgia did in early 2001.
Other states, like Maine and Michigan, have had proposals to change their flags that petered out without widespread support.