The discrepancy between public frustration and civic engagement is stark. During the 2025 local elections and the 2026 primary, voters approved 15 out of 20 binding referendums, greenlighting $335.5 million in new bonds and $3.5 million in direct tax increases. In some instances, fewer than 10% of eligible voters cast a ballot on these financial measures, even as residents staged public protests against their tax burdens.

In the Northbrook Rural Fire Protection District, a mere 4.9% of eligible voters authorized a 14.9% tax increase. This decision will cost the owner of a $350,000 home an additional $106.26 annually. Similarly, the Leyden Fire Protection District secured a $3 million bond and a $730,000 tax hike with less than 9.4% participation. Even when voters do show up for elections, many ignore the referendum questions located at the bottom of the ballot; in the Roselle Fire Protection District, 69% of those who cast ballots skipped the tax-related question entirely.

Historically, turnout in these non-presidential cycles struggles to gain traction, rarely exceeding the participation seen in high-profile general elections. Pappas noted that the highest engagement occurred in Oak Park, where 40.6% of voters turned out to soundly reject a $40 million bond proposal for an aquatics center. For the majority of districts, however, the lack of participation ensures that taxpayers effectively vote for the very increases they publicly decry.