Illinois counties are exploring ways to split the state and form a new state outside Chicago’s Cook County, and the movement seems to be gaining momentum. On November 3, when Americans head to the ballot box to vote in the midterm elections, 12 Illinois counties and several townships will vote in non-binding referendums on whether they want to pursue legislation and constitutional measures to split the state, possibly joining the 33 counties that have already voted in favor. The results will not be legally binding; they will be used to indicate whether officials should take further steps towards achieving a binding split.
They are “advisory,” but a yes vote would “be another important step in building momentum for the Illinois separation movement, said Republican Representative Brad Halbrook, whose home county of Shelby is holding a referendum next week. The referendums “send a clear message that more and more Illinois residents are dissatisfied with the direction of our state and want a greater voice in determining their future,” he told Newsweek. Supporters, many of whom are from rural counties in Illinois, argue they do not have enough say over how the state is governed because Chicago has disproportionate influence.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has repeatedly spoken out against split referendums, saying previously, “The idea that some place in Illinois wants to kick out another place in Illinois should not be on the ballot.” Newsweek contacted the Illinois Separation Referendum and the offices of Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle via email for comment. Coles, Gallatin, Hamilton, Henderson, Macoupin, McDonough, Monroe, Piatt, Saline, Warren and Washington counties will be voting in referendums organized by the Illinois Separation Referendum group. The language on the ballot differs slightly in different counties, NBC Chicago reports, but the question is generally: “Shall the board of (county name) 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?” Meanwhile, Ford County will hold a separation referendum not affiliated with the Illinois Separation Referendum Group.
The main difference is that Ford County’s question asks state lawmakers to pursue splitting actions, as opposed to county boards. A September legal notice shows the language in Ford County’s referendum will be: "Shall the Illinois General Assembly pursue legislation and constitutional measures to separate the City of Chicago and Cook County from the remainder of the State of Illinois, creating a new state, subject to approval by the Illinois General Assembly, the Congress of the United States, and all other constitutional requirements?" This effort is not related to the Illinois Separation Referendum group. There will also be referendums in several townships in Adams County, in western Illinois, but not a countywide vote.
Separation advocates argue that state laws and actions are too heavily determined by what Chicago needs, in ways that do not serve or actively harm rural and downstate communities. Complaints include taxes and fees that separatists argue impose unfair penalties on people living in rural areas, such as taxes, which Newlin says hit people in non-urban areas harder because they rely on driving more than those who live in Chicago, where public transport is more accessible. Halbrook blamed Pritzker’s fiscal policies for more people leaving Illinois “for states offering more economic opportunity and a more affordable cost of living,” citing an Illinois Policy Institute analysis that counts 63 tax and fee increases since the Democratic governor took office in 2019.
Indeed, around 40,000 people left Illinois for other places in America in the year ending July 2025, according to Census Bureau estimates, but these figures do not establish why people moved. The state’s population also grew by 16,000. Another common grievance is gun restrictions in Illinois, where people are generally required to hold a Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card to legally possess firearms or ammunition, according to the Illinois State Police.
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