What You Need To Know About The 3 Advisory Questions On Your IL Ballot

ACROSS ILLINOIS — Early voting opened up at more sites across the Chicago area Monday, with the presidential election just two weeks away. For those hitting the polls ahead of the Nov. 5 election, there will be three non-binding advisory questions they'll be asked to vote "yes" or "no" to.

The following three questions will appear on Illinois voters' ballots this election season:

Assisted Reproductive Healthcare Advisory Question

• Advise state officials on whether to provide for medically assisted reproductive treatments, including in vitro fertilization, to be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides full coverage to pregnancy benefits.

Income Tax Advisory Question

• Advise state officials on whether to amend the Illinois Constitution to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1 million for the purpose of dedicating funds to property tax relief

Penalties for Candidate Interference with Election Worker's Duties Advisory Question

• Advise state officials on whether to establish civil penalties if a candidate interferes or attempts to interfere with an election worker's official duties

But, what is a non-binding advisory question? And what could your vote mean for the future of the state?

"An advisory question is a ballot measure that is used to gauge public opinion on a certain issue or policy. They have no legal or binding effect on state law or the constitution, and are the only kinds of statewide ballot measures to have no actual legal effect if they pass or fail," said Nicole Fisher, a staff writer for ballotpedia. "They are placed on the ballot by the state legislature in order to see the public opinion on an issue, and can use the election results to determine whether or not to pass or implement certain pieces of legislation."

In the U.S., 12 other states "provide a mechanism to place advisory questions on the ballot," Fisher said. Those states are: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin.

Rhode Island and Washington used to allow for advisory questions on the ballot, but those laws have since been repealed, she added.

She said it's not very common to have ballot measures at the statewide level, and the last time three advisory questions appear on the ballot in Illinois — which is the maximum number that can appear during an election —was 2014.

During that election, voters were asked about increasing the minimum wage to $10, requiring prescription birth control to be covered in prescription drug coverage health insurance plans and increasing the tax on income greater than one million dollars to provide for additional revenue to schools.

All three of the questions were approved by voters.

This year's ballot measures were proposed by the Illinois State Senate. Democratic State Sen. Don Harmon and democratic state Rep. Jay Hoffman sponsored Senate Bill 2412, which placed these three questions on the ballot.

In addition to the advisory questions, SB 2412 also blocked established political party committees from putting candidates on the general election ballot if they do not go through the primary process, Fisher said.

The advisory questions needed a majority vote in each legislative chamber during one legislative session this past year to make it onto ballots statewide, which amounts to a minimum of 60 votes in the Illinois House of Representatives and 30 votes in the Illinois State Senate. The questions also require the governor's signature.

SB 2412 passed the Illinois House of Representatives by 67-4 on May 1, with 67 democrats voting for the bill, four Democrats voting against it and 39 republicans and four democrats not voting on the measure, Fisher said.

The bill then passed the Illinois State Senate by 35-3 on May 2, with 35 democrats voting for the bill and 3 Democrats voting against it, while 19 republicans and 1 democrat did not vote, Fisher said.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed off on the ballot measures on May 3.

Fisher said for those interested in historical ballot measure information in Illinois can visit ballotpedia's page here, which includes information on election years dating to 1877. For more information on what is on your ballot this November, voters can use Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot Lookup Tool to view their specific ballot.

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