Eleven more Illinois counties plan advisory votes on leaving the state; 33 counties have already passed similar measures
On October 25, Illinois's secession movement took another step: 11 counties are expected to vote in the 2026 midterm elections on an advisory question asking whether county boards should explore leaving Illinois and forming a new state with other counties outside Cook County. According to the organizing group Illinois Separation, 33 counties have previously passed similar advisory votes; if all 11 pass this year, 44 of the state's 102 counties will have voted to explore separation. The 11 counties are Piatt, Coles, Henderson, McDonough, Warren, Macoupin, Monroe, Washington, Hamilton, Saline and Gallatin, and several townships in Adams County are also expected to consider similar measures. Movement leader Lorette Newlin said supporters believe rural concerns are long ignored by state leadership. The advisory votes are non-binding; actual separation would require approval by both the Illinois legislature and Congress. The movement is no longer confined to the south and rural areas: Iroquois County previously backed its advisory referendum with 73 percent support, and more populous Madison County has joined as well.
Source: GSM·USA
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片来源：Wikimedia Commons／Daniel Schwen（CC BY-SA 4.0）
