Voters in 14 Illinois counties will have a chance next month to let Springfield know what they think about citizens' right to carry concealed firearms, including those in Saline, Franklin and Union counties in Southern Illinois.

The referendum will ask whether the state should enact so-called "concealed-carry" legislation.

The referendum is advisory only. Voters will not be deciding whether individual counties should adopt those rights, but whether state legislators should bring the issue to a vote.

Advocates of the legislation say such a law is long overdue in Illinois, which is one of only two states that haven't passed some form of the statute.