Race, wealth disparities underlie turnout for ballot questions hitting voters' wallets
Many people complain about new property taxes. But only a few vote on whether to add them.
Of that slim minority that does vote, turnout is highest in areas that are predominately white, wealthy and mostly homeowners — while turnout is lowest in poorer areas with more minorities and renters.
That's according to a new report from the Cook County treasurer’s office, which for the first time analyzed the demographic trends behind voter turnout disparities.
The analysis of voter turnout for 2024 tax-related referendums in Cook County showed:
- Mostly white taxing districts had an average turnout of 55%, compared with 33% in Black-majority districts and 29% in Latino districts.
- Tax districts with median incomes above $100,000 had turnout rates last year exceeding 50%. Districts with incomes below $81,797 had an average turnout rate of 34%.
- Areas with overwhelming home ownership rates, above 80%, had voter turnout of 59%. Turnout was 34% in communities where more than 20% of people rent.
Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas said the disparity in voting trends is worth considering in the upcoming April 1 consolidated elections in the Cook County suburbs, where more than $200 million in taxes and debts are on the ballot.
"Rising property taxes always anger property owners. Despite that, most don’t vote in referendums that determine whether their taxes go up or down," Pappas said in a statement.
The analysis builds on a treasurer’s office report last year that described how a minority of voters decide whether to add or remove taxes.
Last year, 26 tax-related referendums passed out of 35 total in the March presidential primary and November general elections. The referendums included 14 municipal bonds creating $563 million in new debt and more than $4.5 million in new property tax levies in three districts.
The analysis found overall low voter turnout last year. The March primary referendum vote averaged just 20.9%, while the November presidential general election referendum vote averaged 62.6%. Those numbers trailed actual voter turnout because a median of 6.2% of voters skipped the end-of-ballot referendum questions, according to the analysis.
In Chicago, the Bring Chicago Home referendum failed to pass by a four-point margin in the presidential primary. Mayor Brandon Johnson's so-called "mansion tax" on property transfers worth more than $1 million would have addressed homelessness. An election official said voter turnout was “shockingly low.” Only 23.5% of Chicago voters had a say in the measure, according to the analysis.
That measure failed because Johnson campaigned poorly for it and voters did not trust giving a blank $100 million check to the city, said Dick Simpson, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois Chicago and a former alderperson. Tax referendums like that usually have specific circumstances that determine whether they pass, Simpson said.
The disparities between voter turnout and wealth, class and home ownership have been documented before, Simpson said. But the treasurer's analysis is notable because social scientists usually don't have the data to compare voting districts and demographic details.
Simpson said the country fails the test of being a true democracy, in the sense that the broader public is not informed on issues and votes.
Cook County could improve its own voter turnout by addressing the underlying inequality and improving the media landscape, Simpson said. Social media, for instance, is not conducive to productive conversations about tax referendums, he said.
"The voters are left without really good information frequently," Simpson said.
The county could also improve education of potential voters by mailing pro and cons lists for tax referendums to the public, as is done for constitutional amendments, he said.
Sometimes just a few votes decides whether to levy million-dollar-plus taxes on entire communities, according to the analysis.
In Robbins — a majority Black, low-income south suburb — just 14% of voters weighed in on a vote to raise taxes for construction of new parks and a recreation facility in last year's March primary. Less than 240 residents voted to raise the levy. The measure passed by 45 votes, according to the analysis.
Compare that to Kenilworth, a majority white, high-income North Shore suburb where 97% of residents own their homes. In the same election, 33.5% of voters went to the polls — the highest turnout in the primary. They approved a $2.5 million bond issuance by a nearly 3-1 margin.
In the April 1 consolidated elections, citizens are considering adding $222 million in new debt in Western Springs and two school districts that cover Northbrook, La Grange, La Grange Park and Brookfield. Other areas looking to add more than $5 million in property taxes include Northbrook, Northfield, Prospect Heights and Roselle.
