Here’s a look at winners, losers and even a tie vote from Tuesday’s election
Some residents from across the metro-east will get new leaders in local offices, based on unofficial election results from Tuesday night. But some races are still too close to call and one is even tied.
In previous years, some election night results have flipped after mail-in ballots were counted. Election authorities can accept mail-in ballots for two weeks after an election, which would be April 18.
Also, the results are not finalized until local authorities complete their canvass, which must be done by April 25.
To see complete, unofficial election results of contested races from Tuesday in the metro-east, go to bnd.com.
Here are some highlights from Tuesday night:
▪ Challenger Charles Powell III has the lead over East St. Louis Mayor Robert Eastern III, 2,097 to 1,734. Marie Franklin, the third place finisher, had 841 votes. The voter turnout in East St. Louis was 31%
▪ Former Belleville Alderwoman Lillian Schneider, with 157 votes, holds a seven-vote lead over Kurt Daesch, who had 150 votes, for the Ward 1 seat in Belleville. The seat is open because Ward 1 Alderman Joe Hazel, who has a pending aggravated driving under the influence charge, did not run for reelection.
In 2019, an incumbent alderman, Andy Gaa, had a seven-vote lead on election night but after mail-in ballots were counted, he lost by three votes (313-310) to Chris Rothweiler in Ward 6. On Tuesday, Rothweiler was unopposed and won reelection. The voter turnout in St. Clair County was 11%.
▪ In Freeburg School District 70, six candidates ran for school board in the district. School Principal Ryan Wittenauer resigned effective at the end of the school year and wrote in his resignation letter last week that some people “terrorize our school community” and he could no longer work in Freeburg because of the “unfounded attacks, bullying, and professional accusations” lodged against Freeburg School District 70 administrators.
One incumbent, John Lawson, is trailing while another, James “Jamie” R. Smith, holds the lead in his race.
This school board race had two sections: In one category, two candidates were to be selected and in another, only one candidate will be voted in.
In the two-candidate category, challengers Amber Trout had 936 votes and David Stein had 731 votes while Lawson had 542.
In the other category, Smith leads with 674 votes while challengers Danita Duecker had 306 and William “Bill” May had 240.
▪ In school referendums, Edwardsville voters gave an enthusiastic thumbs up to a $100 million bond issue plan for building and security improvements. The vote was 4,511 in favor and 2,481 against.
In Freeburg School District 77, voters rejected a $10 million bond issue proposal for a new high school gym. There were 1,324 “no” votes and 815 “yes” votes.
And in Aviston School District 21, voters in six precincts are tied at 428-428 in election-night votes on whether the maximum annual tax rate should be increased and established at 1.17% on taxable property instead of the present rate of 0.92%. The school district has precincts in Clinton and Madison counties, where officials can collect mail-in ballots until April 18.
“That’s remarkable,” was Aviston District 21 Superintendent Phil Hamil’s reaction to the current tie vote.
Most of the precincts for this school district are in Clinton County, where County Clerk Vicky Albers said Wednesday there were 48 mail-in ballots sent to Clinton County residents in the school district that have not yet been returned.
