Bartlett Library Referendum: The Final-Week Decision Guide
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, and the Bartlett library referendum is not one question but two — a $22.2 million renovation and a $45 million new building, each with its own Yes/No line. Here is the exact wording, what each vote does, and the district's own tax figures, so you can decide before you walk in.
By Bartlett Guide · Published October 25, 2026
Unofficial Results — Updated November 4, 2026
$22.2M renovation / addition: Appears to have passed — Yes 6,566 (55.6%) / No 5,253 (44.4%), combined Cook + DuPage.
$45M new library: Appears to have failed — Yes 4,739 (40.3%) / No 7,032 (59.7%), combined Cook + DuPage.
All precincts reporting in both counties. Results are unofficial until canvass — eligible late mail and provisional ballots may still shift totals slightly. Full county-by-county breakdown: Bartlett Library Referendum Results 2026.
When we first covered these questions on October 20, one thing was missing: any official estimate of what either project would cost a homeowner. The library district has since published one, along with a tax calculator. That changes the decision from abstract to arithmetic — so this final-week guide puts the two questions side by side, in full, with the district's numbers attached. Our earlier post, Bartlett Library Referendum 2026: Two Bonds on Nov 3, has the backstory on how the questions got to the ballot.
The two library referendum questions, word for word
This is the certified text from the DuPage County Clerk Election Division's official General Election Notice — exactly what appears on the ballot:
Proposition to issue $22,200,000 library bonds
"Shall the Bartlett Public Library District, DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois, remodel the existing library and build an addition thereto and, in connection with such remodeling and expansion, increase available shelving and storage, the size of dedicated spaces for youth, teens and adults and the number of study/conference rooms, provide for community/programming rooms, construct accessibility improvements for Americans with Disabilities Act compliance and upgrade existing technology systems, furnish necessary equipment therefor and construct site improvements thereto, and issue its bonds to the amount of $22,200,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?"
Proposition to issue $45,000,000 library bonds
"Shall the Bartlett Public Library District, DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois, construct a new library building on the north side of the existing library site with new shelving, storage and technology systems, dedicated spaces for youth, teens and adults, study/conference rooms and community/programming rooms, furnish necessary equipment therefor and construct site improvements thereto, demolish the existing library building, and issue its bonds to the amount of $45,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?"
What a yes — and a no — actually does
The two propositions are independent. Each is decided by its own majority of votes cast on that question, and your ballot lets you answer them separately: yes/yes, yes/no, no/yes, and no/no are all valid combinations.
- Yes on the $22.2 million question — the district may issue those bonds and proceed with the remodel and addition. The district describes the project as leaving the library about 33% larger, with infrastructure, ADA compliance, and technology upgrades to the current building.
- No on the $22.2 million question — the district does not get authority to issue those bonds, and the remodel-and-addition project does not proceed.
- Yes on the $45 million question — the district may issue those bonds and build a new library on the north side of the existing site, about 75% larger than the current building by the district's description, with the existing building demolished.
- No on the $45 million question — the district does not get authority to issue those bonds, and the new building does not proceed.
Why two competing options? The district says its 18-month community engagement process first showed residents leaning toward expanding the current library, then later favoring a new one — so the board voted on July 23 to place both questions on the ballot "in an effort to empower our community to choose the path forward." That's the district's stated case, in its own words.
The tax impact, in the district's own figures
The library district's published tax information gives these estimates for a home valued at $400,000:
- $22.2 million renovation/addition: an additional $98 a year for a Cook County resident, $118 a year for a DuPage County resident.
- $45 million new library: an additional $198 a year for a Cook County resident, $238 a year for a DuPage County resident.
For your own home, the district's online tax calculator works from your assessed value after you select your county; the page explains how to view or download your most recent tax bill to find that number. These are the district's published estimates, presented as the district publishes them — Bartlett Guide has not estimated any figure of its own.
Who sees the library questions — and who doesn't
The questions appear only on ballots inside the Bartlett Public Library District. As the propositions themselves state, the district covers the DuPage and Cook County portions of Bartlett. The Kane County sliver of the village sits outside the library district, so voters there will not see either question on their ballot. For the library itself — hours, cards, meeting rooms, and services — see our Bartlett Public Library guide.
Decided? Here's how to vote this week
Early voting runs through Monday, November 2. DuPage-side voters can vote in town at the Bartlett Community Center, 700 S. Bartlett Rd; the nearest Cook County site is in Streamwood, at the Community Development Garage, 351 E. Irving Park Rd. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with polls open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mail-ballot applications are due Thursday, October 29. Full mechanics — hours, grace-period registration, and how to find your sample ballot — are in our Bartlett IL voter guide for the Nov. 3 election, and every early voting site's schedule is in our early voting guide.
FAQ
Can I vote yes on one library question and no on the other?
Yes. They are two separate propositions, each with its own Yes/No line and each decided by its own majority. You can support the renovation but not the new building, the reverse, both, or neither.
How much would the Bartlett library referendum add to my taxes?
Per the library district's published estimates, on a $400,000 home: $98 a year (Cook County) or $118 a year (DuPage County) for the $22.2 million renovation, and $198 a year (Cook) or $238 a year (DuPage) for the $45 million new library. The district's online tax calculator can figure your own home's estimate from its assessed value.
What happens if both library questions pass?
Each question is decided on its own majority, so both could pass. The district presents the two as alternative paths and, in its published tax information, does not state what the board would do if voters approve both — it prices and describes them as separate choices.
What happens if both library questions fail?
Neither bond issue is authorized, so neither project proceeds under these proposals. The ballot questions are the district's only route to this borrowing; a majority No closes that route for each project.
Why isn't the library question on my ballot?
Most likely your home is in the Kane County portion of Bartlett, which is outside the Bartlett Public Library District. The two propositions appear only on ballots in the district — the DuPage and Cook County parts of the village.
Sources & verification. Details verified October 25, 2026 against the DuPage County Clerk Election Division's official General Election Notice (ballot wording quoted verbatim) and the Bartlett Public Library District's published tax information page. Tax figures are the district's own published estimates. Confirm your polling place and sample ballot before heading out.
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