7 Illinois Counties Vote to Explore Seceding From State

Another group of Illinois counties has voted to explore whether they should secede from the state, citing significant differences with Cook County and suburban voters.

A total of seven counties faced a ballot question on exploring the idea of secession, and all seven voted in favor of the proposal, according to county clerks’ offices.

Here was the language voters saw on their ballots:

“Shall the board of (the county) correspond with the boards of 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?”

{snip}

Many legal experts have expressed skepticism that such an effort could ever be successful. That group includes Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who penned a letter to the state’s attorney of Jersey County on the issue in 2023.

“The Illinois Constitution of 1970 does not grant non-home-rule counties the power to secede from the state of Illinois,” he found.

He also held that the state’s Election Code does not contain provisions allowing counties the power to hold binding referendums on whether or not they can secede from Illinois.