Don’t miss this tax question on your Nov. 5 ballot

You will see a survey on the Nov. 5 election regarding Illinois taxes. Lawmakers can then use the results to see how voters feel when considering new laws.

Illinoisans are getting a chance to take a poll from lawmakers on the Nov. 5 ballot regarding Illinois taxes. The question will read:

“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?”

The question is similar to the 2020 progressive tax structure Illinoisans rejected at the ballot box.

States with progressive tax structures don’t attract as many residents compared to those with no income tax or a flat income tax, which Illinois has. States with progressive tax structures experienced the most domestic out-migration last year and states with no income taxes gained the most residents.

Taxing the wealthy will simply drive them to other states as they have the greatest resources to move somewhere else. As a result, Illinois would get less revenue from those individuals than it does now, leaving the remaining residents to shoulder an even greater tax burden.

Giving residents more of a reason to move somewhere where there is no income tax is not how you get the state’s finances back on track.

The ballot question is advisory, meaning it won’t change any laws, but politicians can use the results to pass laws in the future.

Historically, high taxes have been the No. 1 reason Illinoisans considered moving out. Polling from NPR Illinois and the University of Illinois found 61% of Illinoisans thought about moving out of state in 2019, and the No. 1 reason was taxes.

The Illinois Policy Institute’s Lincoln Poll in 2023 similarly found 51% of the voters surveyed would leave if they could, with most citing high taxes as the reason.

*Paid for by Vote No on Illinois Tax Hikes*