Cook County voters could be handing over the decision-making power on more than a dozen tax-related referendums to a relatively small group of their peers in the upcoming March 19 primary. Despite these issues directly impacting many people's finances, history suggests that voter participation in these referendums will be low. According to a report from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, an analysis revealed that an average turnout for 75 property tax-related referendums between 2020 and 2023 was just 32% of registered voters, leaving these critical decisions to a minority of voters, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
Referendums this year include a mixture of measures, ranging from a potential increase in taxes on high-end real estate transactions to support homeless services through the Bring Chicago Home initiative, to the dissolution of a fire protection district. Despite the stakes, and the fact that many referendums passed or failed by extremely narrow margins in recent years, voter disengagement remains a significant issue. "Voters are given the power to make these key decisions, but most don’t bother to vote," Pappas said in a statement obtained by the Chicago Tribune. "And when their taxes go up, they are the first to complain."
The Bring Chicago Home referendum has seen an intense organizing push and has even faced a prominent legal challenge, according to Dick Simpson, a political science professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, who spoke with the Chicago Sun-Times. However, Simpson predicts low voter turnout despite the efforts, primarily due to a lack of competitive races atop the Democratic or Republican tickets. "We'll be lucky to get 25% to 30% of people to vote, even with all the publicity," Simpson told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Apart from the major referendum discussions in Chicago, the suburbs are seeing their slew of fiscal proposals on the ballot. With everything from new bond issuances to changes in tax levies, the outcomes could significantly influence local economies and services. For instance, in the south suburban town of Hometown, a measure for added tax powers was approved by a mere two votes, with only 27% of the electorate voting in June 2022, as cited by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Among voters, confusion over the wording of referendums may contribute to the apathy. This has been notably true for the Bring Chicago Home question, which voters like Arnold Patton and Laura White found perplexing. The non-partisan group Chicago Votes has attempted to clarify matters with voter guides, but the challenge of understanding the implications of these tax questions persists.
