Ballot Language – Vote Yes for Fairness

Example of Ballot Voting & Ballot Language: Fair Tax Amendment in Illinois

Here’s a literal example of how voting can increase fairness. It is also a good example of the importance of taking your time to understand what your vote means before you cast it. Unlike voting with your wallet which you can do every day and has a much more gradual effect, voting on the ballot only comes once every few years but can have a much bigger impact. Here’s an example of how the State of Illinois had the opportunity to make taxation more fair in their state but weren’t able to get enough votes.

In 2020 the State of Illinois voted on a ballot measure to change their state tax laws so that Illinois residents earning higher income could be taxed at a higher rate. This amendment did not pass because it did not get enough yes votes. Passing of this amendment would have given the state government the ability to change tax rates, like most other states. But, Illinois is one of only a handful of US states that still imposes a “flat tax” rate; the government does not have the right to change tax rates based on income levels.

This is the language that was on the ballot:

The proposed amendment grants the State authority to impose higher income tax rates on higher income levels, which is how the federal government and a majority of other states do it. The amendment would remove the portion of the Revenue Article of the Illinois Constitution that is sometimes referred to as the “flat tax,” that requires all taxes on income to be at the same rate. The amendment does not itself change tax rates. It gives the State the ability to impose higher tax rates on those with higher income levels and lower tax rates on those with middle or lower income levels. You are asked to decide whether the proposed amendment should become a part of the Illinois Constitution.

Here’s what each vote meant:

Yes Vote: Change the state tax laws so that the state can impose a higher tax rate on residents with higher income.

No Vote: Meant to keep the existing tax laws, which limited the governments ability to change tax rates based on income levels.

What To Learn from This Vote:

Note: This amendment required 60% of votes to be Yes to pass.

It’s likely that not enough voters understood what a yes or no vote meant, so they voted no to keep things the same. Keeping things the same is often the default decision for a voter when they are not clear on how their vote will affect them.
This measure may not have passed because not enough voters turned up on voting day, or because they voted that day but not on this measure.
It may be that low income voters feared their the government would raise their tax rates instead of raising the rates on high income residents.

Tax Map: How Would Things Have Changed for Illinois Residents?

Map of All Counties in Illinois

Expected Changes if Ballot Measure Had Passed

Adams County – 98.44% of Adams County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Alexander County – 99.76% of Alexander County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Bond County – 99.38% of Bond County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Boone County – 98.09% of Boone County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Brown County – 99.55% of Brown County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Bureau County – 99.12% of Bureau County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Calhoun County – 99.51% of Calhoun County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Carroll County – 99.13% of Carroll County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Cass County – 99.47% of Cass County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Champaign County – 98.12% of Champaign County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Christian County – 99.18% of Christian County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Clark County – 99.20% of Clark County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Clay County – 99.51% of Clay County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Clinton County – 99.11% of, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Coles County – 98.96% of Coles County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Cook County – 96.78% of Cook County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Crawford County – 99.14% of Crawford County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Cumberland County – 99.59% of Cumberland County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
DeKalb County – 98.99% of DeKalb County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
De Witt County – 99.09% of De Witt County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Douglas County – 98.99% of Douglas County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
DuPage County – 94.77% of DuPage County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Edgar County – 99.35% of Edgar County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Edwards County – 99.50% of Edwards County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Effingham County – 98.18% of Effingham County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Fayette County – 99.41% of Fayette County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Ford County – 99.01% of Ford County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Franklin County – 99.56% of Franklin County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Fulton County – 99.42% of Fulton County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Gallatin County – 99.09% of Gallatin County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Greene County – 99.53% of Greene County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Grundy County – 98.77% of Grundy County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Hamilton County – 99.07% of Hamilton County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Hancock County – 99.37% of Hancock County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Hardin County – 99.30% of Hardin County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Henderson County – 99.49% of Henderson County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Henry County – 99% of Henry County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Iroquois County – 99.19% of Iroquois County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Jackson County – 98.87% of Jackson County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Jasper County – 99.54% of Jasper County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Jefferson County – 99.09% of Jefferson County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Jersey County – 99.28% of Jersey County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Jo Daviess County – 98.85% of Jo Daviess County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Johnson County – 99.75% of Johnson County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Kane County – 97.13% of Kane County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Kankakee County – 99.09% of Kankakee County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Kendall County – 98.26% of Kendall County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Knox County – 99.09% of Knox County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Lake County – 93.44% of Lake County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
LaSalle County – 99.06% of LaSalle County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Lawrence County – 99.49% of Lawrence County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Lee County – 98.90% of Lee County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Livingston County – 98.91% of Livingston County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Logan County – 99.39% of Logan County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
McDonough County – 99.12% of McDonough County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
McHenry County – 97.59% of McHenry County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
McLean County – 97.94% of McLean County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Macon County – 98.49% of Macon County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Macoupin County – 99.50% of Macoupin County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Madison County – 98.72% of Madison County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Marion County – 99.37% of Marion County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Marshall County – 99.29% of Marshall County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Mason County – 99.27% of Mason County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Massac County – 99.58% of Massac County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Menard County – 99.08% of Menard County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Mercer County – 99.29% of Mercer County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Monroe County – 97.80% of Monroe County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Montgomery County – 99.21% of Montgomery County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Morgan County – 99.11% of Morgan County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Moultrie County – 98.66% of Moultrie County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Ogle County – 99.01% of Ogle County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Peoria County – 97.32% of Peoria County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Perry County – 99.54% of Perry County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Piatt County – 98.44% of Piatt County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Pike County – 99.11% of Pike County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Pope County – 99.61% of Pope County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Pulaski County – 99.77% of Pulaski County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Putnam County – 98.76% of Putnam County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Randolph County – 99.41% of Randolph County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Richland County – 99.34% of Richland County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Rock Island County – 99.07% of Rock Island County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
St. Clair County – 98.80% of St. Clair County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Saline County – 99.19% of Saline County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Sangamon County – 98.13% of Sangamon County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Schuyler County – 99.23% of Schuyler County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Scott County – 99.23% of Scott County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Shelby County – 99.45% of Shelby County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Stark County – 98.51% of Stark County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Stephenson County – 99.08% of Stephenson County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Tazewell County – 98.35% of Tazewell County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Union County – 99.39% of Union County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Vermilion County – 99.42% of Vermilion County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Wabash County – 98.73% of Wabash County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Warren County – 99.18% of Warren County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Washington County – 98.89% of Washington County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Wayne County – 99.43% of Wayne County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
White County – 98.99% of White County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Whiteside County – 99.17% of Whiteside County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Will County – 97.52% of Will County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Williamson County – 98.86% of Williamson County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Winnebago County – 98.89% of Winnebago County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.
Woodford County – 97.48% of Woodford County, Illinois taxpayers would pay the same or less.