Welcome to the first edition of #ChiCouncilBingo. Get a free bingo card using our card generator, follow our live-thread on Twitter—win the bingo prize.

By Nalani Saito and Darryl Holliday

Is this a shameless way to get you engaged in the budget process? Survey says yes.

Is this a shameless way to get you engaged in the budget process? Survey says yes.

Chicago’s City Council is voting on the 2021 budget. We’re tracking the final decision—and our bingo cards. Welcome to the first edition of #ChiCouncilBingo: 2021 Budget.

Our reporters have been interviewing local organizers, scoping out the #PeoplesBudget bus tour and creating tools to help you track your alderperson’s voting record on past budgets (you can see all of their work here). Our Chicago Documenters have also been hard at work live-tweeting and summarizing every budget hearing to make sure you can access the discussions, disagreements and deep dives. While our network does the news we’re inviting you to spot a “funky background” and see if someone asks Mayor Lori Lightfoot about that “don’t come to me for sh**” comment on your own #ChiCouncilBingo card.

Playing along is easy and you might even win a little something. Here’s how to play:

  1. Pull up a City Council Bingo board—you can play online

  2. Tune into the City Council meeting and our live-tweet thread for #ChiCouncilBingo updates 

  3. Mark off boxes as they happen (click on a square to check it off or download your card)

  4. Win the #ChiCouncilBingo prize by being the first to email us your winning board (let us know on Twitter too while you’re at it). Hit us up at documenters@citybureau.org with a pic of your board to win

Got your bingo card ready? Tweet us at @ChiDocumenters #ChiCouncilBingo to let us know—let’s connect.

We owe an eternal debt of gratitude to Nathalie Graham at The Stranger, who developed this City Council bingo thing and has done a super job at it.


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