Illinois voters will face a series of advisory questions on their ballots during the 2024 election, with topics ranging from reproductive health care to changing the state’s tax structure.
While these questions will certainly provoke a measure of debate and discussion, they do not come with any guarantee of future legislation or amending the state’s Constitution, according to officials.
Here’s what you need to know about the statewide questions.
How did we get the questions on the ballot?
Under Illinois state law, there can be up to three questions placed on the statewide ballot for each election cycle. In a bill passed in May, Illinois lawmakers formulated the three questions that will be on the ballot.
By doing so, they prevented any other efforts to place a question on the ballot, which according to the Illinois Policy Institute included at least one group’s efforts to place questions about gender identity counseling in schools.
What questions will be on the ballot this November?
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Here are the three advisory questions that Illinois voters will be asked to weigh in November:
1 – Should any candidate appearing on the Illinois ballot for federal, state or local office be subject to civil penalties if the candidate interferes or attempts to interfere with an election worker’s official duties?
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2 – Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds raised to property tax relief?
3 – Should all medically appropriate assisted reproductive treatments, including, but not limited to, in vitro fertilization, be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides coverage for pregnancy benefits, without limitation on the number of treatments?
What happens if the ballot questions are approved?
Technically, lawmakers do not have to pass bills that are approved via advisory questions on ballots in Illinois.
What about measures voted on in previous elections?
In previous elections, Illinois voters have been tasked with deciding on Constitutional amendments, with those votes coming with binding force, meaning that they would become law if approved by voters.
In 2020, Illinois voters were asked if they wanted to adopt a graduated income tax or the current flat tax that was in place, but rejected the proposal.
In 2022, Illinois voters approved a Constitutional amendment protecting the right of workers to organize into a union. The amendment also would have prohibited Illinois from passing legislation making it a “right-to-work” state, and a majority of voters approved the measure, thereby adding it to the state’s Constitution.
