Eight votes. That was the margin that decided Sylvania Issue 14 on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.

Sylvania voters rejected Issue 14 — the Sylvania Resource Conservation and Equal Access Ordinance — by only eight votes, according to Postindustrial, which reported Nov. 4 that the pro-immigrant measure “failed by eight votes and appears headed for a recount.” The results are unofficial and subject to certification, and the story is not over yet.

The ordinance would have barred the city from using local resources to help federal immigration enforcement. A YES vote meant no city resources would aid federal agencies in immigration efforts, according to La Prensa. Supporters said the measure would ensure city resources are spent on city services — including police protection and road repair — and that city police and other services would be equally available to everyone in the city.

Supporters framed the question as a local one: Sylvania has limited funds, they argued, and local tax dollars should stay focused on local services rather than federal immigration work. The measure reached the ballot by citizen petition. Council member Doug Haynam led the drive after the council chair refused to put the initiative on the agenda in March 2026. Organizers needed about 295 signatures and collected more than 400.

Opponents, led by the group SAFE Sylvania, argued the ordinance was unnecessary and confusing. Sylvania City Council voted 6–1 against the legislation, and the mayor and police chief also do not support it, according to SAFE Sylvania. The group says the city has no separate immigration-enforcement program — police resources are budgeted for public-safety responsibilities — and that Sylvania cannot control federal immigration enforcement, which is conducted by federal authorities.

That disagreement made Issue 14 one of the closest local ballot questions of the Nov. 3 election, splitting a suburb where both sides claimed to be defending local control: supporters, by keeping local dollars on local services; opponents, by keeping clear police policies and leaving federal enforcement to the federal government.

What happens next is still uncertain. No certified totals or confirmed recount date had been announced in the sources reviewed for this story. With a margin of just eight votes, a recount is likely — and until the results are certified, the outcome remains unofficial.

Photo: A voter deposits a mail ballot at a ballot drop box. Photo by Sarah Stierch, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).

Sources: Postindustrial; La Prensa; SAFE Sylvania.