Ranked-choice voting, a measure on the Oak Park ballot on Nov. 5, passed by a margin of 79%. The decision means changes to how Oak Park residents vote for their village president and village board of trustees. The measure takes effect in the April 1, 2027 Consolidated Election. 

Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank candidates based on preference: first, second, third, etc. This allows voters to express a preference for additional candidates, even if their first choice is not elected. 

Candidates for village president will be elected if they receive at least 50% of the vote. Village trustees candidates will be elected if they receive at least 25% of the vote. If a voter’s preferred candidate does not have a winning chance, those votes are transferred to the voter’s next choice. 

Concerned citizen of Oak Park Abrianna Cummings explained her support for ranked choice voting, saying. “Voting should be reflective of the voters. It should be reflective of their choices, and that data should be readily available. And I think that the more information and the more data that we have, the better we can understand choices and how to move forward.”