By Townhall Chicago News Staff
The Chicago Board of Elections on Friday reported 11,092 ballots remain uncounted from the 2026 midterm general election as the city continues post-election processing.
The disclosure is part of the board’s required transparency measures following Election Day, giving voters and candidates in close races a clear picture of how many ballots could still affect final tallies.
Of the outstanding ballots, 4,638 are provisional ballots, according to the board’s report published Friday. Another 1,733 are vote-by-mail ballots that have been received but not yet counted. An additional 4,721 vote-by-mail ballots were sent to voters but had not been returned as of the report’s publication.
All ballots cast on Election Day and all early voting ballots have been counted, the board said.
Provisional ballots are cast when a voter’s eligibility cannot be immediately confirmed at the polling place. Election officials must verify each provisional ballot individually before it can be added to the tally.
Vote-by-mail ballots that have been sent but not returned face a deadline. Under Illinois law, mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can be received and counted for up to 14 days after the election.
The board said vote-by-mail and provisional ballots continue to be processed and will be added to unofficial results through Nov. 17.
The uncounted ballot report is a routine part of post-election administration in Chicago. It allows candidates, political parties and the public to track how many votes remain to be counted and where the outstanding ballots fall by category.
Voters and candidates seeking additional information can contact the Chicago Board of Elections Public Affairs office at the board’s headquarters at 69 W. Washington St., according to the board’s announcement.
The board will continue updating unofficial results as remaining ballots are verified and processed through the Nov. 17 deadline.
