Voters in four states—Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota—will decide on minimum wage increases when they go to the polls on November 4, and Illinois voters will make their opinion on the issue known in a nonbinding vote. Information on state ballot measures from Ballotpedia indicates:
- Voters will decide whether to increase Alaska’s minimum wage from $7.75 to $8.75 on January 1, 2015, and to $9.75 on January 1, 2016.
- The Arkansas question asks voters whether they want to raise the state’s minimum wage from $6.25 to $7.50 on January 1, 2015; to $8 on January 1, 2016; and to $8.50 on January 1, 2017.
- In Nebraska, voters will decide whether to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $8 on January 1, 2015, and to $9 on January 1, 2016.
- Voters will decide whether to raise South Dakota’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 on January 1, 2015.
In Illinois, a nonbinding ballot question will ask voters whether they favor raising the minimum wage from $8.25 to $10 by January 1, 2015.
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. Currently, 23 states and Washington, D.C., have passed minimum wages that are higher than the federal minimum wage, according to information compiled by the Urban Institute for its State Economic Monitor report. The report says that this year, 10 states and Washington, D.C., have passed increases that will go into effect next year.