Illinois Towns Vote Against State Anti-BDS Law

Voters in eight Illinois municipalities approved nonbinding ballot measures urging repeal of the state's 2015 law targeting boycotts of Israel.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Civic Engagement

Flat-color editorial illustration of a plain ballot-box silhouette alone on an open prairie under a pale sky, evoking local civic votes on state policy. — Voters in eight Illinois municipalities approved nonbinding ballot measures on Tuesday urging the state to repeal its 2015 law targeting boycotts of Israel. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should Illinois repeal its law barring state pension investments in companies that boycott Israel?

Voters in eight Illinois municipalities approved ballot measures objecting to the state's anti-BDS law, which was first signed in 2015. The measures will have no effect on state policy, though they urge the state to repeal the law or support legislation to do so.

Why it matters

The results show local opposition to Illinois's anti-BDS law, one of dozens of similar state laws across the country. Because the measures are nonbinding, their practical impact on state policy is limited.

Unofficial tallies show 65% of Oak Park voters approved the measure, which passed by a smaller margin than the votes those voters gave top Democratic candidates. Oak Park activists' signature gathering was disputed by opponents, and official certified totals were not reported.

The players

Jewish United Fund

The Jewish United Fund is a Chicago-area Jewish philanthropic federation that campaigned against the Oak Park ballot measure.

The details

Measures in Oak Park, Champaign, Cunningham, DuPage, Kickapoo, Medina, Normal, and Peoria urge the state to repeal the anti-BDS law or support legislation to do so. Separately, Bloomington Township voters approved a measure urging a federal ban on weapons transfers to dictatorships, apartheid states, or major human rights violators, and the ballot language did not mention Israel.

2015: Illinois anti-BDS law first signed
Early November 2026: Municipal ballot measures approved in Illinois
Election night, November 2026: Providence, Rhode Island passed a divestment referendum

Political Context

Illinois's 2015 anti-BDS law is one of dozens of such state laws nationwide, and the local ballot measures push back against it directly. Goldwin said the measures' passage would not change the Jewish United Fund's strategy of opposing repeal of the law at the state level.

The measures carry no legal force, so Illinois's anti-BDS law remains in effect for residents and state contractors. Voters in the affected towns have registered their position, but state policy will only change through the legislature.

The takeaway

Local ballot measures can signal public sentiment even when they cannot change state law. Residents interested in the issue can follow the Illinois legislature for any moves to repeal the anti-BDS law.