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Chicago midterm ballot results: what a yes vote changes
Read Chicago's partial advisory referendum results and understand why a yes vote does not itself enact a tax or approve a project.
Unofficial results checked November 4, 2026, at 1:25 a.m. Central.
Yes was leading on the five Chicago referendum questions displayed in NBC Chicago’s election results when checked. These are advisory questions, so even an eventual yes majority does not itself enact a tax, award a contract or authorize construction. NBC Chicago returns, ballot-question guide
What did the partial results show?
| Question shown in the results feed | Yes | No | Status at this snapshot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restart gunshot detection technology | 430,939 (72.55%) | 163,036 (27.45%) | Partial count |
| Permanent festival and event space | 397,335 (67.64%) | 190,104 (32.36%) | Partial count |
| Seek compensation for federal immigration operations | 505,351 (84.78%) | 90,719 (15.22%) | Partial count |
| Millionaire tax to fund schools | 477,284 (80.42%) | 116,214 (19.58%) | Partial count |
| Additional charges on vacant properties | 436,756 (73.67%) | 156,073 (26.33%) | Partial count |
NBC displayed 94% of the expected vote counted for each entry. These are the five entries in that feed, not a complete inventory of every question on a Chicago voter’s ballot. Its separate guide describes six shared advisory questions and additional ward-specific questions.
Does passing make a proposal law?
The Chicago election board’s advisory-referendum guidelines say approval or rejection has no legally binding effect. The result records voters’ views. It does not substitute for the later government action needed to implement a policy. Official 2026 guidelines
For each proposal, look for a different next document. These are implementation tests, not additional powers conferred by the advisory vote.
| Proposal | What a yes vote does not supply | Evidence of action |
|---|---|---|
| Gunshot detection | A signed operating contract | Procurement and funding decision |
| Festival grounds | A location or construction budget | Site proposal and approved financing |
| Tax or vacant-property charge | A billable rate or start date | Enacted authority and collection rules |
| Immigration-operation compensation | An awarded payment | A specific claim and its disposition |
A festival majority, for example, supports the idea without choosing a site or relocating an existing festival. An opening-date claim would need evidence beyond the referendum percentage.
The tax questions need the same distinction. A favorable advisory vote is not evidence that a new charge begins on the next bill. Cook County’s resolution for its separate millionaire-amendment question explicitly describes the referendum as a way to measure public opinion. Do not substitute a Chicago-only tally for that countywide contest. Cook County resolution
The next useful update is twofold: the completed vote count, then any actual ordinance, funding decision or project proposal that follows. Until then, describe these outcomes as voter support or opposition, with the count’s date attached.
Keep those local questions separate from the Illinois governor result.