Tom Wilbeck
County Clerk Joe Tirio said 6,023 ballots were added to the latest countywide count Tuesday evening, and no more counting would be reported until Nov. 17, the last day the clerk can receive mail-in ballots that had been postmarked by Nov. 3, when polls closed.
There were still 642 mail-in ballots that had been returned countywide and not yet counted after Tuesday’s update, with 14,967 mail-in ballots requested but not yet received by election officials.
As long as ballots were postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 17, they will be counted. There also remained 1,211 provisional ballots from across the county that could be added to totals on Nov. 17.
That means the leaders in some of McHenry County’s closer races could change once again.
In the race for the McHenry County chairman job, Republican newcomer Mike Buehler, of Crystal Lake, still was leading with 52.9% of the vote over Marengo Democrat’s Jack D. Franks’ 47.1%. Before the ballots were updated, Buehler had 53% of the vote.
As of Tuesday, Buehler had 83,691 votes while Franks trailed behind at 74,596.
In the three-way race for a seat representing southeastern District 1 on the McHenry County Board, Democrat Theresa Meshes, retained her slim lead over Republican Yvonne Barnes. Meshes, on Tuesday, had 32.59% of the vote, while Barnes had 32.16%.
However, the updated ballots strengthened newcomer Meshes’ lead over Barnes slightly, putting her 168 votes above Barnes.
Incumbent Tom Wilbeck, R-Barrington Hills, is leading over both of them. His 13,872 votes gives him 35.26% of the vote.
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