See The 10 Design Finalists For Illinois’ New State Flag

Illinois' hunt for a new state flag design continues.

Earlier this year, the Illinois Flag Commission opened up the floor (or sketchpad) to take submissions for new designs for the Illinois state flag. It's the first time the state has sought a new flag design since 1915. It all started with Senate Bill 1818 (named after the year Illinois was founded) in an attempt to update the flag and "have a flag that truly represents our state", according to bill sponsor State Sen. Doris Turner.

The rules were simple:

• It can include "natural features of the state, history and culture of the state"
• No limit on colors but 3 or fewer colors is recommended by the commission
• You'll have to send in your name, address, details, and connection to Illinois
• People under 18 can send in designs if it's in coordination with a parent/adult mentor
• Designs can't be AI-generated, use copyrighted material, or stolen from other designs

Now, the Illinois Flag Commission is announcing their top 10 design finalists in their new state flag design contest and, while the finalists are all anonymous, one of them is an 18-year-old from Moline.

I think it would be fun to see the top 10 rejected ones too that may have hit a little too close to home, but it's a legit contest that they're taking seriously.

Get your creative eye ready and see what could be on your next driver's license or official documents. Here are the top 10 designs (in no particular order) and the inspirations behind them!