By Townhall Chicago News Staff
The Chicago Board of Elections on Thursday reported 120,905 ballots remain uncounted from the Nov. 3 midterm general election, a tally that could affect the outcome of tight local races.
The figure includes a mix of mail-in ballots, provisional ballots and a small number of Election Day ballots still being processed. With several contested races on the ballot, the remaining votes carry significant weight for candidates and voters across the city.
Of the uncounted total, 60,960 are vote-by-mail ballots that have been received but not yet counted, according to the board’s report. Another 53,590 are mail ballots that were sent to voters but had not been returned as of Thursday. The count also includes 4,355 provisional ballots and 2,000 ballots cast on Election Day that have yet to be processed.
The board said vote-by-mail and provisional ballots will continue to be processed and added to unofficial results through Nov. 17.
Tuesday’s election marked a historic moment for Chicago governance, as voters participated in the transition toward a fully elected Chicago Board of Education. All polling places and Universal Vote Centers opened across the city for the midterm contest.
Ahead of Election Day, voter engagement in Chicago was substantial. The board reported 211,657 in-person early voting ballots had been cast and 109,215 mail ballots had been returned by the evening of Nov. 2. A total of 242,230 mail ballots were requested for the election.
The extended counting timeline is standard procedure under Illinois election law, which allows mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive and be processed in the days following the election. Provisional ballots, cast by voters whose eligibility could not be confirmed at the polls, require additional verification before they are added to totals.
The board has also extended public viewing hours for record examinations related to the 2027 municipal and aldermanic election. Those sessions are being held at 11 E. Adams St., Suite 300, during weekday hours from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. through Friday.
Voters can track updated unofficial results as ballots are counted on the board’s website at chicagoelections.gov. The final certification of results will follow the completion of all ballot processing.
The Nov. 3 election drew broad participation across Chicago’s 50 wards, with the board emphasizing expanded access through early voting sites at three Chicago-area universities and ward-level voting locations that opened Oct. 19.
Updated unofficial results will be posted as additional ballots are processed through the Nov. 17 deadline.
Source: Chicago Board of Elections
