11 Illinois counties to vote on exploring separation from state
Eleven more Illinois counties are scheduled to vote on non-binding referenda during this year’s midterm election regarding the possibility of separating from Cook County to form a new state, NBC Chicago reported. Loret Newlin, director of the advocacy group Illinois Separation, stated that the push stems from the belief that state leadership ignores the concerns of those the group represents, noting, This is our lived experience. We are ignored. We are not taken into consideration when they’re making a lot of the laws that hurt us,
she said.
Referenda Expansion Across Illinois Counties
Voters in Piatt, Coles, Henderson, McDonough, Warren, Macoupin, Monroe, Washington, Hamilton, Saline, and Gallatin counties will face ballot questions concerning state separation this election cycle. Several townships in Adams County are holding similar votes. If these measures pass, 44 of Illinois’ 102 counties will have approved advisory referenda on the issue.
The push is no longer confined to the state’s southern or rural parts. Iroquois County previously voted 73% in favor of exploring separation, while Madison County, the eighth-most populated county in the state, also backed the measure. Newlin noted that these results demonstrate broader geographic momentum beyond rural strongholds.
Illinois Separation Relies on U.S. Constitution Article IV
Illinois Separation bases its strategy on Article IV, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which governs the admission of new states. New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned, as well as of the Congress,
the clause reads. Historical precedents for state bifurcation include the creation of West Virginia in 1863 during the Civil War and the separation of Maine from Massachusetts in 1820.
Creating a new state requires approval from both the Illinois General Assembly and the U.S. Congress. Such legislative approval appears distant under current political conditions. A spokesperson for JB Pritzker previously characterized the separation initiative as a “stunt” with no prospect of success.
Past regional protest movements in Illinois faced similar institutional roadblocks. The Republic of Forgottonia, a 16-county coalition in west-central Illinois, drew attention to local disinvestment through public events. While that movement was abandoned, it eventually secured localized infrastructure investments, including Amtrak restoration and bridge repairs, as documented by the Macomb Area Conventions and Visitors Bureau.
November Election Tests Separation Movement as Chicago Area Inquires
The upcoming November election marks the next immediate test for the separation movement as 11 additional ballots are tallied. Beyond the current roster of participating counties, inquiries from several in the Chicago area regarding the process of getting such ballot measures before voters in the future have begun to emerge.