The questions will appear on ballots citywide. They are nonbinding, so results will gauge voter sentiment but will not by themselves require government action.

Three questions come from the city. Voters will be asked whether Chicago should restart gunshot-detection technology that alerts first responders to reported gunfire; create a permanent site for large festivals and outdoor events; and pursue lawful ways to recover costs and losses connected to federal immigration enforcement operations, including Operation Midway Blitz.

The gunshot-detection question revisits a debate that continued after Mayor Brandon Johnson ended the city’s ShotSpotter contract two years ago. The event-space proposal also addresses a long-running issue: Grant Park is closed for weeks during the summer for major events, and post-festival cleanup can be difficult, particularly after heavy rain.

The question about compensation refers to Operation Midway Blitz, which took place in late summer and early fall of 2025 and drew national attention for its scale and clashes between federal agents and protesters. The ballot asks whether Chicago should seek reimbursement for lost tax revenue, public-safety response costs and services provided to affected residents and families.

A Cook County question asks whether Illinois should adopt a proposed “Millionaire Amendment” that would impose a 3% income-tax surcharge on income above $1 million. The proposal would direct half of the revenue to property-tax relief for residential and commercial taxpayers and half to public education. A state constitutional amendment would be required before such a tax could take effect.

An April estimate from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute said the surcharge could affect about 41,000 people statewide and raise $3.8 billion in its first full year, increasing to $4.2 billion annually by 2030. The institute also estimated the state could provide $1,500 rebates to 3 million homeowners and reduce property-tax bills by as much as 20%. Opponents argue the tax could harm business owners and other taxpayers, including people who are not millionaires.

Two additional questions tied to Chicago Public Schools ask whether revenue from a millionaire surcharge should increase school funding and whether owners of long-term vacant or undeveloped commercial and investment properties should pay an additional annual charge to support the district.

Some voters will also see questions specific to their wards. Topics include mental-health services, a proposed monument to the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., limits on new shared-housing units, a possible Lake Michigan national-park designation, redevelopment of the former South Works site, and a proposed tax on some large corporations to fund youth jobs, public mental-health care and violence prevention. In parts of the 21st Ward, voters will be asked whether to maintain a ban on liquor sales.