3 Illinois Counties Vote To Investigate Seceding, Forming New State

ILLINOIS — Voters in three downstate Illinois counties where some residents no longer want to be associated with Chicago and Cook County passed separation referendums this week authorizing local officials to look into the idea of seceding from Illinois and forming their own state.

The non-binding resolutions were passed in Brown and Hardin counties, as well as a portion of Madison County, as part of Tuesday’s midterm elections, NBC Chicago reported on Thursday. The resolutions authorize each of the respective county boards to coordinate with officials in other municipalities to consider leaving the state due to the influence politically that Chicago and Cook County hold in the state.

Brown County, which is located in western Illinois, overwhelmingly passed the measure on Tuesday when three in four voters in the county voted in favor of the resolution, NBC Chicago reported. A total of 1,444 people voted in favor of looking into the idea of the formation of a new state while 441 county voters opposed the measure

“Shall the board of Brown County correspond with the boards of the other counties of Illinois outside of Cook County about the possibility of separating from Cook County to form a new state, and to seek admission to the union as such, subject to the approval of the people,” the question on the ballot read.

Hardin County and Madison County voters also approved the idea of the county boards meeting to discuss seceding from the Illinois counties and were in favor of the idea, NBC Chicago reported.

Hardin County is the smallest county in the state, records show.

The three counties joined a list of 23 others who previously voted in favor of separation referendums in 2020, according to Illinois Newsroom. All the counties are located downstate and, like those that voted in favor of the measure this week, feel like Chicago and Cook County voters hold too much power in determining the political direction the state remains headed.

In 2021, Central Illinois Republican State Rep. Brad Halbrook filed resolutions to create a new state that would include all of Illinois except for Cook County. “There are different needs, there are different interests, different cultures, different economy,” Halbrook said at the time.

An email sent to a spokesperson for Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker seeking comment on the subject was not immediately returned to Patch on Thursday.