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.
AI Generated·May contain errors
One Adams County township just hit 90% yes.
Hamilton County led the full counties at 79.65.
That is the rebellion Chicago keeps pretending doesn't exist.
And as of the November 5th unofficial tally,
44 counties plus 11 townships have now told Springfield
they want out from under Cook County rule.
33 counties had already said yes in earlier elections,
and all 11 counties on Tuesday's ballot approved.
This is not a tweet.
Unofficial advisory votes across rural
Illinois just registered the same complaint.
Cook County calls the shots and downstate pays the tab.
McDonough County barely cleared at 56.69%.
One Adams County township tore to 90.
Those are neighbors choosing distance from Chicago's taxes,
gun bans, and power monopoly.
No advisory vote splits the state. Not yet.
Any actual split needs the Illinois General Assembly
and Congress under Article 4, Section 3.
And I'll show you that gate, untouched since October 29th.
One Adams County township hit 90 percent,
while McDonough County stalled at 57.
That gap is the entire story of Illinois in one number,
and Kalschi keeps that scoreboard live.
Kalschi is a CFTC-regulated prediction market where you trade yes
or no on real-world events.
Politics, economy, weather, culture.
Prices show what people really think is coming. Prices move
when news breaks and expectations shift in real time.
You don't have to trade to follow along.
It's a smart way to keep score on the news
and see what America is predicting.
Here at Next News Network,
when Washington lags and the Fed mumbles, I still want the odds.
Trade $25 and get $55.
My link is in the description and the pinned comment,
or use promo code NNN.
And those Illinois numbers aren't waiting on Chicago.
Coles County, home to Charleston and Mattoon, came in at 62.67%.
Warren County posted 65.78%.
Henderson, 73.1%.
Saline, 71.82%.
That is the actual map behind the Center Square's November 6th update.
Not inflated chatter.
And I'm going to show you the tweets.
The graphic.
Eleven counties approve an advisory split from Cook County.
Unofficial, not a legal split.
Avery Cain.
Thanks, Gary.
Unofficially, every county that voted approved it.
Unofficial results from November 3rd.
All 11 Illinois counties that voted
on the advisory separation referendum approved it,
plus 11 of 22 townships in Adams County.
Here's the Center Square's official update from Friday.
They count 44 counties, plus 11 townships in a 45th,
after 33 counties had already approved similar
advisory questions and none had failed.
Voters in 44 Illinois counties, plus 11 townships in a 45th county,
they have now approved a referendum to consider separating
from Cook County and forming a new state.
Center Square's Jim Talamonte reports 11 townships in Adams County,
Illinois, joined 11 other counties in voting Tuesday in favor
of a non-binding ballot question that was previously approved
in other elections by 33 other Illinois counties.
Now, six counties came
in with less than 70 percent of voters saying yes.
That's something that Illinois Separation Director Lorette Newland told
the Center Square was a little disheartening,
but she said the results were still very strong.
Newland said voter approval ranged from 57%
in McDonough County to 90% in one Adams County
township. The unofficial yes shares ran from 56.69% in McDonough,
the weakest full county,
to 79.65% in Hamilton, the strongest.
These votes are advisory. They do not split the state.
Here's Fox 32 on the non-binding referendums.
Reporter Brett Buganski, a remote with Tom
And a bite from Lorette Newland.
May have been a great night for Democrats
across the country and Illinois.
But some voters in downstate Illinois
also sent a message to their elected officials.
They want to form a new state.
Brett Boganski is live in studio.
Brett, not the first time we've heard about this,
but this movement has been growing over time.
Certainly, they've become resentful
with everything that's happened here.
And they feel like Chicago and Cook County just has too much power
when it comes to state policy and how we spend our tax dollars.
They feel like they don't have a voice,
so that's why some counties and townships are asking their voters
if they want to secede from Illinois and form a new state.
So prior to last night.
33 counties had approved non-binding measures to cede.
And after last night, voters in 12 more counties and several townships
in Adams County, which is in west central Illinois, said yes,
they want to break away from Illinois and form something new.
But so far, voters in central
and southern Illinois counties approved them.
So we spoke with Lorette Newland,
who has been leading the Illinois separation movement.
It's become too expensive to do business in Cook County and Chicago.
And earlier today, political consultant Tom Serafin
explained why Illinois should not ignore this.
Now there are over 40 counties in Illinois
that have taken a non-binding referendum and passed it
in the elections where they wanted to secede from Illinois.
Because downstate, there are no jobs,
there's no commerce, there are universities and there are prisons.
Downstate is hurting right now.
So you have to pay attention to where
the hurt is and where the lack of jobs are.
And the next step, if I can duck out of the way a little bit,
you can see there's a lot of white space where we haven't had.
The referendum on the ballot,
and that's not because there isn't any interest,
I've actually had contact from every county in the state,
even if they haven't had it on the ballot yet,
and that's where it starts, it starts with one person reaching out
and saying, hey, I'm interested in this.
So Governor J.B. Pritzker called this a stunt,
and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul released
a similar legal opinion on this very subject, saying this simply would
not happen unless the state legislature and Congress approved this.
So Illinois would have to agree to give up some territory,
which at this point, guys, it just seems very unlikely.
A real split still needs the Illinois General Assembly and Congress.
Commentator Steve Turley,
in a pre-election commentary, makes this point.
A yes vote does not itself split the state.
It's not just Alberta and Quebec.
Something extraordinary is happening in Illinois.
One of the most dramatic political realignments
in modern American history
may be quietly unfolding, not through violence, not through rebellion,
but through ballots, constitutional government, and the consent.
On November 3rd, voters across downstate Illinois will
be voting on more than just members of Congress.
They'll be encountering a question asking whether
their county boards should communicate with other counties about
the possibility of permanently separating.
From Cook County, where Chicago is,
the proposal involves forming a new state, yes, a 51st
state, and seeking admission to the union.
The question of separation from Cook County
and secession from Illinois will appear on
an astonishing 11 county ballots on November 3rd.
That includes Coles and Gallatin, Hamilton, Henderson, Monroe.
And Warren counties, along with several townships in Adams County.
Now, just to be clear, the referendum is non-binding.
A yes vote does not automatically create a new state, obviously,
nor does it transfer these counties to Indiana like some are proposing.
And it certainly does not mean leaving the United States.
It simply asks whether local officials should begin.
Corresponding with other counties in Illinois
and exploring what separation might involve.
And here's additional tape of Loretta Newland
on Fox News National on the process.
Listen to her in her own words.
So there's a growing push to split Illinois
in two as more counties prepare to vote on
forming a new state without Chicago.
So far, 33 counties have voted on similar measures to back
exploring a separation from Cook County,
which does include the Windy City. And this November,
11 more counties and several townships will vote
on the proposal as the movement continues to gain
support. Joining me now is the director of Illinois Separation,
Lorette Newland. Lorette,
Thank you for coming on this morning.
Tell us where this idea
idea came about and why you decided to move forward with it?
Well, it wasn't my idea.
Our founder, Colin Clyburn, was very big into the Second Amendment
rights. And so he he was the one that was inspired to do it.
He also noticed that there was a growing
number of unconstitutional acts. Was there a time?
Was there a time that he really came up with this?
You know, was it several years ago?
Was it recently?
When was this?
2016.
Okay, so this has been in the works for a little bit.
What's Chicago leadership saying about this?
Well, Governor Pritzker considers it a publicity stunt,
which is hilarious because I'm actually pretty camera shy.
And then what's been some positive feedback you have gotten
from these counties and townships?
From the townships for the people who were on board with this,
what is their main reason for wanting to go through with this?
Well, some of the county boardmen, county board chairmen will say
that they just see it as a protest vote, but they see that even
that is valuable to let Springfield know that we are not happy.
And then do you think that this movement's
going to catch fire in other states?
Do you think other states are going
to see this, especially if it works,
especially if people vote on this and it works?
Do you think they're going to do this in other states?
You know, I'd never thought about that.
Okay.
Is there anything else you want to add about this?
We get a mixed bag reaction.
We've got a lot of people that they're concerned about their pensions
and a lot of other things that they really don't need
to be concerned about at this juncture.
This particular vote just asks if the people want their county board
to correspond with the boards of other counties that also approve it to
look into the possibility of separating from Cook to form a new state.
It doesn't make the new state happen. It's non-binding.
It's considered an advisory public policy question.
And so it just advises people, officials at the local,
state, and federal level as to what the people want.
And depending on how the outcome is and how many more counties we get,
then we can go to the next step.
In other state splits in the past,
they did multiple referendums, and it's appropriate to do that,
one to approve of the new constitution, for example.
For example,
But before that, after it's been looked at,
to give people the financial aspect and let
them look at that and then vote,
do you want to proceed to the next step of writing a new
constitution and then ultimately asking
for their approval before we approach the state
legislature with the statehood bill.
So there's a lot of steps to it.
Article 4, Section 3 of the Constitution only requires
Two things. One, approval by the state legislature,
and the other is approval by Congress.
Those are two things, but they are very large obstacles,
as you can imagine, especially in the state of Illinois.
Of course, it's going to be a lot for voters to consider on this.
Loretta Newland, thank you so much for your time. I appreciate it.
You're welcome.
No legislative action has been found since October 29th.
All 11 that voted said yes unofficially.
Its advisory, the General Assembly
and Congress, would still have to say yes.
Hamilton County didn't vote for a study.
It voted 79.65% to be heard.
And 44 counties have now told Governor J.B. Pritzker the same thing.
He can let Springfield bury the question in committee,
hold no hearing, and wait for the next news cycle to carry it away.
But he cannot make McDonough's 56.69%
or that 90% township call Cook County home.
That 90% township
and Hamilton's 79.65 are not a binding secession, not yet.
They are a mirror.
Rural Illinois just looked into it 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 touched
a path for these counties since October 29th,
and Congress hasn't been asked.
If your county is on that unofficial list,
drop its name in the comments.
Tell the rest of the country how the vote went in your precinct.
Share the map.
Subscribe so the center square numbers don't get buried under
the same Cook County machine
that buried the story on election night.
McDonough's 56.69 and Adams County's 90
are two numbers Springfield would rather you never see again.
Our team credentialed inside the White House files
the next count straight to your phone.
Text WHITEHOUSE to 844-840-4963 and you receive reports pulled
from inside the building before YouTube decides to throttle them.
That gets you the story.
If you're ready to carry the file past the downstate blackout, text
SIGNAL to that same number and report for the next new Signal Corps.
Real missions, real ranks,
and a command center the Legacy Press can't switch off.
