# 1974 Illinois elections

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vte :
Elections were held in Illinois on Tuesday, November 5, 1974.
Primaries were held on March 19, 1974.

## Election information

1974 was a midterm election year in the United States.

### Turnout

Turnout in the primary election was 30.09%, with a total of 1,817,804 ballots cast. 1,174,231 Democratic and 643,573 Republican primary ballots were cast.
Turnout during the general election was 52.23%, with 3,084,675 ballots cast.

## Federal elections
### United States Senate

Incumbent Democrat Adlai Stevenson III was reelected.

### United States House

All 24 Illinois seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election in 1974.
The Democratic Party flipped three seats, leaving the party composition of Illinois' House delegation as 13 Democratic and 11 Republican.

## State elections
### Treasurer

Incumbent Treasurer Alan J. Dixon, a Democrat, won reelection to a second term.

#### Democratic primary

Incumbent Alan J. Dixon won renomination, running unopposed.
Treasurer Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Alan J. Dixon (incumbent) | 721,536 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 721,536 | 100 |

#### Republican primary

Harry Page defeated Jeannette H. Mullen in the Republican primary.
Treasurer Republican primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Harry Page | 267,307 | 53.06 |
| | Republican | Jeannette H. Mullen | 236,441 | 46.94 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 503,748 | 100 |

#### General election

Treasurer election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Alan J. Dixon (incumbent) | 1,796,144 | 64.65 |
| | Republican | Harry Page | 953,928 | 34.33 |
| | Socialist Workers | Suzanne Haig | 20,240 | 0.73 |
| | Communist | Lorraine M. Ashby | 8,070 | 0.29 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,778,382 | 100 |

### State Senate

Seats in the Illinois Senate were up for election in 1974. Democrats flipped control of the chamber.

### State House of Representatives

Seats in the Illinois House of Representatives were up for election in 1974. Democrats flipped control of the chamber.

### Trustees of University of Illinois

An election was held for three of nine seats for Trustees of University of Illinois system.
The election saw the election of new members, Democrats Robert J. Lenz, Nina T. Shepherd, and Arthur R. Velasquez.
First-term Republican Russel W. Steger, and fellow Republican Timothy W. Swain (who had been appointed in 1955, and had been elected to three full terms since) both lost reelection. Third-term Republican Earl M. Hughes was not renominated.
Trustees of the University of Illinois election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Nina T. Shepherd | 1,535,875 | 19.68 |
| | Democratic | Robert J. Lenz | 1,409,944 | 18.06 |
| | Democratic | Arthur R. Velasquez | 1,378,577 | 17.66 |
| | Republican | Timothy W. Swain (incumbent) | 1,151,284 | 14.75 |
| | Republican | Russell W. Steger (incumbent) | 1,107,032 | 14.18 |
| | Republican | Gardner W. Heidrick | 1,042,875 | 13.36 |
| | Socialist Workers | Mary R. Wismer | 50,752 | 0.65 |
| | Socialist Workers | Brian Williams | 34,376 | 0.44 |
| | Socialist Workers | Antonio DeLeon | 34,165 | 0.44 |
| | Communist | Valerie Witzkowski | 27,006 | 0.35 |
| | Communist | John R. Lumpkin | 17,256 | 0.22 |
| | Communist | Jay Schaffner | 17,099 | 0.22 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 7,806,241 | 100 |

### Judicial elections

Multiple judicial positions were up for election in 1974.

### Ballot measure

Illinois voters voted on a single ballot measure in 1974. In order to be approved, the measure required either 60% support among those specifically voting on the measure or 50% support among all ballots cast in the elections.
This marked the first time that Illinois voters voted on a proposed amendment to the 1970 Constitution of Illinois following its adoption.

#### Restrict Governor's Amendatory Veto Power Amendment

Voters rejected the Restrict Governor's Amendatory Veto Power Amendment, a measure which would have amended Amends Article IV, Section 9, Paragraph (e) of the Constitution of Illinois failed to meet either threshold to amend the constitution. It would have restricted the amendatory veto power given to the governor, which allows the governor to return bills to the legislature with suggested changes.
Restrict Governor's Amendatory Veto Power Amendment :
| Option | Votes | % of votes on referendum | % of all ballots cast |
| Yes | 1,302,313 | 49.48 | 42.73 |
| No | 1,329,719 | 50.52 | 43.63 |
| Total votes | 2,632,032 | 100 | 85.33 |
| Voter turnout | 44.57% | 44.57% | 44.57% |

## Local elections

Local elections were held.
Among the local elections was a referendum in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties which created Regional Transportation Authority.