City of Madison — Keno 2026 (Madison County)
Ballot measure · November 3, 2026 · Madison voters
Results: the official election results site. Counts are unofficial until certified.
- What it does
- Shall the City of Madison, Nebraska, establish and conduct a keno lottery pursuant to the Nebraska County and City Lottery Act for the purpose of community betterment as defined in the Act, which includes tax relief?
- A YES vote means
- The City of Madison would set up and run a keno lottery under the Nebraska County and City Lottery Act for community betterment, which includes tax relief.
- A NO vote means
- The City of Madison would not set up a keno lottery.
- Needed to pass
- A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
- Left–right lean
- Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.
Explained
Today
- The City of Madison does not conduct a keno lottery. Under the Nebraska County and City Lottery Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. § 9-625), a city may run one only after its voters approve it.
- State law allows a city to run only one type of lottery at a time, and the city's resolution says it intends that to be keno.
If it passes
- A 'yes' majority authorizes the city to seek a license and set up keno. It does not start keno right away: the city must first get a license from the Nebraska Department of Revenue, and any operating contracts would come back to the City Council, according to the city's staff memo.
- By state law (§ 9-629), at least 65% of keno gross proceeds must go to prizes and no more than 14% to operating expenses; the city also pays the state a 2% tax on gross proceeds (§ 9-648). The rest goes to community betterment purposes, which the ballot question says include tax relief.
- Any keno operating contract must let the city end it on 30 days' notice if voters later discontinue the lottery in a future election.
- A 'no' majority means the city is not authorized to conduct keno.
Who would notice
Madison residents and taxpayers, and businesses that might host keno sales. The city memo says the resolution itself has no significant immediate cost beyond routine election expenses.
How it got here
After an educational presentation on charitable gaming earlier in 2026, the City Council voted 3–0 on July 8, 2026 (one member absent) to approve Resolution 2026-8 placing the question on the November 3 ballot, according to the meeting minutes.
City staff (Economic Development Director Andrew Colvin) recommended putting the question to voters so they could decide whether the city should have authority to conduct keno.
What each side says
Supporters
- No organized campaign for the measure was found. The City Council, which placed it on the ballot, said in its resolution that letting voters decide is in the best interests of the city, and city staff noted that keno proceeds must go to community betterment purposes, which include tax relief.
Opponents
- No organized opposition was found. The Council's July 8 vote to place the question on the ballot was 3–0, and no news coverage of the question was found.
Background
The Madison City Council's July 8, 2026 agenda included a public hearing and action on a resolution sending the keno question to the November 3 ballot, following an educational presentation on charitable gaming earlier in the year, according to the meeting packet.
A staff memo from Economic Development Director Andrew Colvin says the resolution does not establish keno itself; if voters approve, any operation would still need licensing by the Nebraska Department of Revenue, and contracts would come back to the council.
Under Nebraska law, keno proceeds must be used for community betterment purposes, prizes, taxes and operating expenses, according to the memo, which says the resolution has no significant immediate financial impact beyond routine election costs.
Next elections here
Quick answers
- What does a YES vote on City of Madison mean?
- The City of Madison would set up and run a keno lottery under the Nebraska County and City Lottery Act for community betterment, which includes tax relief.
- What does a NO vote on City of Madison mean?
- The City of Madison would not set up a keno lottery.
- Does a 'yes' vote mean keno starts right away?
- No. The city would still need a license from the Nebraska Department of Revenue, and any contracts to operate keno would come before the City Council.
- Where does keno money go?
- State law requires at least 65% of gross proceeds to go to prizes and caps operating expenses at 14%; the city pays a 2% state tax on gross proceeds. The remaining proceeds must be used for community betterment purposes, which the ballot question says include tax relief.
- Could keno be stopped later?
- Yes. State law allows a lottery to be discontinued by a later election, and the resolution requires any keno contract to let the city end it on 30 days' notice if that happens.
- How many votes does City of Madison need to pass?
- A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
- Should I vote yes or no on City of Madison?
- SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
- When is the vote?
- The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.
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