Bloomington Voters Back Grocery Tax Repeal

Advisory questions on the 1% grocery tax, data centers, and arms transfers drew majority support in the Tuesday general election.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in City Hall

Bloomington Voters Back Grocery Tax Repeal

Live Poll

Should your city repeal its 1% grocery tax to ease household costs?

Bloomington voters approved an advisory question calling for repeal of a 1% grocery tax, with 18,798 yes votes and 9,468 no votes. The advisory questions are non-binding and carry no legal power in municipal government.

Why it matters

The City Council hoped repealing the grocery tax would provide some relief to families. Advisory results give Bloomington officials a measure of public opinion without binding the city to action.

Results were tallied as yes and no votes on each advisory question in the general election. Bloomington voters also approved a data center moratorium question with 21,851 yes and 6,316 no votes, and an arms transfer ban question with 24,707 yes and 3,245 no votes, though the extraction does not state whether any follow-up measures are planned.

The players

Bloomington City Council

The Bloomington City Council is the municipal legislative body that hoped repealing the grocery tax would provide relief to families.

The details

Residents answered advisory questions during the general election on Tuesday, with voters casting yes or no ballots on each. The advisory questions are non-binding and serve as a way for municipalities to gauge public opinion.

Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Bloomington residents vote on advisory questions during the general election.

Political Context

Advisory questions like those in Bloomington follow a longstanding Illinois municipal practice of using non-binding referenda to measure voter sentiment without creating legal obligations for local government. The results give the council a documented signal of public preference on the grocery tax and two other policy questions.

Bloomington residents may see the City Council weigh grocery tax changes, but the advisory vote alone does not alter what shoppers pay at the register. Any change would require council action beyond the non-binding result.

The takeaway

Non-binding advisory votes show where Bloomington voters stand, but they do not change tax law on their own. Readers should watch for City Council action on the grocery tax.