SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — With early voting underway, a former Illinois governor is traveling across the state to inform people about a property tax question on the ballot. Every voter will be asked if the state constitution should be amended to provide property tax relief.

Lawmakers and candidates for office constantly hear property taxes are a major problem for voters, but no one has been able to find a solution for the complicated system in Illinois.

"Our state is second in the country when it comes to property taxes," Pat Quinn told reporters in Springfield Wednesday. "Only New Jersey is worse, and we got to do something about it."

Quinn said over 3 million households in Illinois paid more than $23.2 billion in property taxes last year. Voters will be asked if the Illinois constitution should be amended to create an additional 3% tax for millionaires to provide relief for everyone else.

"It is a very difficult and unfair system, in fact bewildering to many people," Quinn said. "All they get is an envelope, they open the envelope and get socked in the nose with a higher property tax bill."

The state would put money from the 3% surcharge on millionaires into a property tax relief fund. Quinn noted that this fund was created in Fiscal Year 2021, but lawmakers have never provided revenue for annual property tax rebates.

The Illinois Department of Revenue estimates this change could amount to $4.5 billion in property tax relief.

"This referendum that we're talking about in November would be the biggest property tax relief measure for homeowners in state history," Quinn said.

This is a non-binding question, so it will not immediately change law. Although, the results could encourage lawmakers to draft a constitutional amendment question for the 2026 election.

Illinois voters will also be asked if they think insurance companies should cover fertility treatment and if candidates for public office should face civil charges if they interfere with election workers. 

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