Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker (D) approved three non-binding advisory questions referred by the state legislature to appear on the 2024 ballot. This is the first time since 2014 that Illinois voters will decide on three statewide advisory questions on the ballot, which is the maximum number of advisory questions that can be placed on the ballot.

The three questions that will appear on Illinois ballots are:

• 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?
• 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?
• 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?

The advisory questions were proposed in Illinois Senate Bill 2412 (SB2412), which was sponsored by State Sen. Don Harmon (D) and State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D). In addition to the referendum questions, SB2412 also blocked established political party committees from putting candidates on the general election ballot if they do not go through the primary process.

SB2412 passed the Illinois House of Representatives by 67-4 on May 1, 2024, with 67 Democrats voting for the bill, four Democrats voting against it, and 39 Republicans and 4 Democrats not voting on the measure. The bill then passed the Illinois State Senate by 35-3 on May 2, 2024, with 35 Democrats voting for the bill and 3 Democrats voting against it, while 19 Republicans and 1 Democrat did not vote.

In Illinois, only three advisory questions are allowed on statewide ballots at one election, meaning that no more advisory questions can be placed on the 2024 ballot. One citizen initiative campaign, the Parents Matter Coalition, was circulating a petition to place an advisory question on the ballot regarding written parental consent before a minor participates in counseling related to gender identity or non-emergency medical procedures.

Rep. Hoffman, who sponsored SB2412, said, “We just believe that these three questions are at the forefront of many people’s minds and that’s the safety of election workers, property tax relief, and, following the ruling in Alabama, the whole issue of ensuring access to in vitro fertilization.”

State Rep. Ryan Spain (R) said the referendum questions are a distraction from the provisions of SB2412 regarding the placement of candidates on general election ballots. He said, “What you saw today was a phony attempt to solicit feedback from voters that was covering up the real intention to the Democrats’ bill upstairs, which is to eliminate competition in our elections.”

Voters will decide on the three advisory questions on Nov. 5, 2024.