Downstate Illinois Wants Out: 11 Counties Approve Advisory Split

One Adams County township hit 90 percent yes—Hamilton County led at 79.65. The rebellion Chicago pretends doesn't exist.

The November 5 unofficial tally across rural Illinois just delivered a message Springfield cannot spin away. Forty-four counties plus eleven townships in a 45th have now told Governor J.B. Pritzker they want out from under Cook County rule. These are advisory votes, not binding secession, but they are the loudest signal yet that downstate taxpayers are done paying for Chicago’s spending, gun bans, and political machine.

McDonough County barely cleared 56.69 percent, while one Adams County township tore to 90. That gap is the story of Illinois in one number—urban control versus rural revolt. Coles County, home to Charleston and Mattoon, came in at 62.67 percent. Warren County posted 65.78, Henderson 73.1, Saline 71.82. These are not fringe numbers. These are neighbors choosing distance from Cook County’s power monopoly.

These advisory referendums are not new. For years, downstate organizers with groups like New Illinois and the Illinois Separation movement have argued that Cook County’s population and Chicago’s political machine make fair representation impossible. The November 5 results are the most concrete evidence yet that whole counties, not just angry individuals, are willing to state on the record that they want out. In some townships, the margin approached nine in ten, a level of consensus that no Springfield lobbyist can dismiss as a fluke.

Any actual split would require the Illinois General Assembly and Congress under Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution. That gate has not been touched since October 29, and no hearing has been scheduled. Hamilton County didn’t vote for a study; it voted 79.65 percent to be heard. Forty-four counties have now told Pritzker the same thing. He can bury the question in committee, but he cannot make McDonough’s 56.69 percent or that 90 percent township call Cook County home.

The map behind The Center Square’s November 6 update shows the real rebellion—not inflated chatter but actual county-level results that reveal a breaking point. Rural Illinois looked in the mirror and said the quiet part out loud: Chicago spends the money, Springfield writes the law, and downstate gets the bill. No one in the General Assembly has moved a path for these counties, and Congress hasn’t been asked.

The Chicago media machine buried these results on election night, focusing instead on national races while rural counties quietly registered their discontent. But the numbers are now public record. The Center Square’s update on November 6 confirmed the unofficial tally, and the list keeps growing. Every county that passed one has put the question on the table: does Cook County still write the rules for the entire state? For millions downstate, the answer is no.

These unofficial numbers are not a binding secession yet, but they are a mirror. The full breakdown on this channel goes county by county, showing which precincts cracked 90 percent and which ones Springfield hopes disappear with the next news cycle. Watch the analysis to see how close Illinois really is to a constitutional fracture the legacy media refuses to cover.

Disclaimer: 18+ only. Restrictions and eligibility requirements apply. Event contract trading involves significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. Please carefully consider if it is appropriate for you in light of your personal financial circumstances. Kalshi products are not available in all jurisdictions. See kalshi.com/regulatory for more information.