Midterms 2026 - Libraries on the Ballot Recap

Since our first library election day in February 2013, EveryLibrary has been the pro bono partner on 180 library ballot measures with the library leadership team or the local ballot committees.

Help Spread the Word!

Click to share this on Facebook, Bluesky, Twitter, Threads, and LinkedIn

We know that every ballot measure we have worked on over the past 14 years is fundamentally about employing librarians and staff who can develop collections, invest in library buildings, and keep their doors open for the next generation.

With last night’s elections, we have now directly supported 180 libraries on the ballot. We are proud to have helped secure $3.3 billion in stable tax dollars to date. In fact, for every dollar we raise, we're able to help libraries secure over $1,600 in stable funding.

Every $1 we raise helps us secure over $1,600 for libraries at the ballot box.

Our campaign partners won 10 out of 13 campaigns.

We celebrate their wins and are committed to helping turn around the losses on future ballots. 

• Saline County, Arkansas, rejected a defunding measure to cut the library budget by half.
• Grand County Library, Colorado, passed its local levy and tax cap measure.
• Palm Beach County Library, Florida, passed a $175 million bond to build a wonderful new library.
• Bourbonnais Public Library, Illinois, lost its operating referendum.
• Bartlett Public Library District, Illinois, passed a bond to renovate and repair its aging building.
• Berkeley Public Library, Illinois, passed a bond to repair and renovate its library.
• Fondulac Public Library, Illinois, lost its referendum for new operating revenue.
• O’Fallon Public Library, Illinois, lost its bond referendum to build a new library.
• Hancock Area Library District, Michigan, passed a new permanent tax rate for its city and three townships to fund library operations.
• Las Cruces Public Libraries, New Mexico, passed a bond to renovate and expand the  Branigan Library.
• St. Clairsville Public Library, Ohio, passed a 5-year renewal of its local option tax.
• Independence Public Library, Oregon, passed a new Community Service Fee for parks and libraries after the 2024 library levy failed.
• Timberland Regional Library, Washington, passed a new levy to stabilize funding for this five-county library system. 

Last night in the 2026 Midterms, EveryLibrary tracked 60 local library elections that set tax rates and authorized new building bonds in 22 states. Forty-one passed and 19 failed. Wins include new taxpayer funding for the Hancock Area District Library in Michigan, a mill levy for the Toledo-Lucas County Library, $35 million in new funding for facilities in Austin, Texas, and Forrest City, Arkansas, raising its funding rate from 1.9 to 3.0 mills. Losses include the Libraries of Stevens County in Washington’s proposal to increase funding from $0.27 to $0.44 of assessed value, the Stark Library in Ohio failing to renew its local levy, and the voters in Garland County, Arkansas, rejecting a new building project. 

Illinois libraries had a very difficult night, with three out of five libraries losing at the polls. Ohio had 15 library levies on the ballot for operational funding, and all but 4 passed. The Ohio legislature recently shifted the Public Library Fund, which provides state aid to libraries, from a percentage of revenue to a fixed budget line. This will have an impact on future ballot measures as libraries try to make up the shortfall locally. All but one of Michigan’s 13 libraries passed their local funding questions.

A donation of just $5 a month helps us secure almost $100,000 for libraries! 

There were two ballot measures to defund or close libraries last night, and both failed. In Saline County, Arkansas, voters rejected a measure to cut the library budget by 50%. Voters in the city of Bridgeton, NJ, likewise declined to permanently close the library by referendum. We were proud to work with Saline County on their Information-Only campaign planning and are celebrating the end of that campaign.

We followed 5 statewide tax policy questions and state aid authorizations, but were deeply involved in the Keep Libraries Funded Coalition in Florida to oppose Amendment 3. Unfortunately, Amendment 3 passed. It will cut hundreds of millions of dollars from city and county budgets – including for libraries. The coalition will now pivot to focus on the state aid formula in Tallahassee. North Carolina passed its property tax amendment, which will cut county budgets, too. Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Utah voters rejected their versions of tax caps, preserving stable property tax revenue for municipalities and their libraries.

As we look at state races, we are happy to see that Texas unseated Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, derailing his pledge to censor thousands of books in every school library. The fight against book bans is changing in Alabama, where John Whal, the chair of the state library advisory board and leader of the anti-access charge there, is now Lt. Governor-Elect. The change to both houses of Congress means that we must focus on preventing bad legislation like H.R. 7661, the national book ban bill, from passing during the Lame Duck. We are committed to working with the new Congress on issues like $1 per capita funding for IMLS, the future of the National Archives, and the stability of the Library of Congress. 

“Each and every library Election Day is about something bigger than a tax rate or a building project,” says Executive Director John Chrastka. “It's about whether a community will have the librarians, books, programs, and places it needs for the next generation. We celebrate every victory, and we take every loss seriously because we know what's at stake for readers and families. Strong libraries don't happen by accident. They happen because people organize, show up, and make the case for their libraries.” 

Nothing we do to support public libraries at the local, state, and federal level is possible without donors like you supporting us. Our mission is clear, and our team is dedicated, competent, and committed. We need your support to make that happen. Please consider donating today to ensure we can continue this work in 2027 and 2028.