7 downstate counties vote to consider seceding from Illinois to form new state
Residents in seven downstate counties voted in Tuesday's election to explore the idea of breaking away from Illinois to form a new state.
The counties join a growing number of other right-leaning downstate counties that have approved similar nonbinding measures in recent election years. The movement comes as residents’ distaste for the left-leaning policies pushed through the Democrat-led Illinois General Assembly has also grown.
Republican President-elect Donald Trump won the majority of votes in each of the seven counties that voted in favor of exploring secession in this year’s election.
The seven counties that voted to consider separating from Illinois are:
- Calhoun County (passed with 76% of the vote)
- Clinton County (passed with 71% of the vote)
- Green County (passed with 74% of the vote)
- Iroquois County (passed with 72% of the vote)
- Jersey County (passed with 73% of the vote)
- Madison County (passed with 56% of the vote)
- Perry County (passed with 71% of the vote)
The likelihood of any county seceding from Illinois is extremely low. Any formal request to secede would require approval from the Illinois General Assembly and the U.S. Congress.
The idea to form a new state apart from Chicago has been a recurring proposal made by downstate Republicans in the state Legislature for many years.