On the ballot in the midterm elections on Nov. 3, Illinois voters will be able to cast votes not only for candidates seeking major offices. They will also have a chance to answer questions in a handful of advisory referendums on potential new laws.
Although the results of these referendums will not decide the fate of any potential legislation, they will signal to lawmakers which solutions have public support. One referendum question that will appear on ballots in Chicago asks whether the city should create a permanent space for festivals and large outdoor events.
Another Chicago referendum asks voters whether the city should “bring back the use of gunshot detection technology that alerts emergency services when gunfire is detected.” The question was placed on the ballot at the request of the Chicago City Council, after aldermen two years ago unsuccessfully tried to stop Mayor Brandon Johnson from removing the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system from Chicago.
Other referendums on the ballot ask voters whether they support various proposals to increase funding for public schools. One question asks whether the state of Illinois should direct revenue from an additional income tax on people earning millions of dollars toward increasing funding for public schools.
The next question asks whether Chicago should require owners of commercial or investment properties that remain vacant or undeveloped for a long time to pay an annual fee to Chicago Public Schools (CPS). In practice, this would amount to taxing owners for keeping property unused or undeveloped for an extended period. These questions were placed on the ballot by the Chicago Board of Education, which oversees the CPS budget.
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Source: Polski.FM
