Chicago Board of Elections delays school board calls as 12 precincts remain uncounted
Discrepancies between electronic counters and handwritten logs have left two district races too close to determine despite most of the city reporting its votes.
By Luis Medina ·
The Chicago Board of Elections remains unable to declare winners in two school board races because 12 precincts have not finished counting ballots. As of Thursday evening, the board had reported results from 1,279 of the city's 1,291 precincts. The delay leaves the outcomes for districts 5b and 7a unresolved, while districts 3b and 6a also lack a final call despite having all precinct data.
WBEZ analysis shows the board counted an additional 12,000 votes on Thursday. Approximately 3,000 Election Day ballots and 131,131 total uncounted votes, including mail-in ballots, remain in the queue. More than 4,000 provisional ballots also await tabulation. A board spokesperson told WBEZ that the delays stem from ongoing transmissions to the central data intake and tabulating system.
In district 3b on the Near Northwest Side, Jason Dónes leads Carlos Rivas Jr. by 127 votes. Four of the district's 74 precincts had not been counted as of Thursday, covering just over 4,000 registered voters. New data released Thursday evening increased Dónes' advantage by only 53 votes. Dónes told reporters midday that he is in the lead but the margin is small. He described the situation as scary, noting that the lead could shift with each new batch of results.
District 5b on the West Side presents a different problem. Candidate Michilla Blaise holds a 1,302 vote lead over Anthony Hargrove. One precinct in that district remained uncounted Thursday evening. Blaise cited a discrepancy between an electronic ballot counter and a handwritten count by an election judge as the cause of the holdup. Her lawyer indicated that judges were re-checking the ballots. Blaise suggested a simple error in filling out a blank might be the issue and expressed appreciation for the thoroughness of the process.
The board is also assessing a ballot shortage that contributed to long lines on Election Day. A Thursday evening news release attributed the shortage to a computer error that miscalculated the number of ballots needed at each polling place. It is not yet clear if this error impacts the reporting of race results. The board also noted a surge of more than 34,000 same-day voter registrations, the second-highest total in the city's history.
Election officials must finish counting mail-in and provisional ballots by Nov. 17. Final official results are due by Nov. 24.
