How many metro-east votes still need to be counted? A look at what’s left from IL primary
Even after races have been called, it’s typical for vote totals to continue to change days after elections.
The number of votes you see recorded online on election night is always unofficial. Results must be certified.
While some news organizations project winners, election offices don’t certify results until all provisional and mail-in ballots are taken into consideration.
In Illinois, an election office must count mail-in ballots until 14 days after the election, as long as the ballot was postmarked by Election Day.
“The races that are up on our site right now … every ballot in the courthouse has been counted and is online right now, what is not online are provisional ballots, those are challenged ballots, and the vote-by-mail ballots,” St. Clair County Clerk Thomas Holbrook said.
The bulk of lagging ballots to be counted are mail-in votes, but there are also provisional ballots still needing to be accepted or rejected.
“No totals are final until the canvass is done, which we do 14 days after the election,” Holbrook said. “Things can change with those votes.”
What is an election canvass?
The election canvass takes place two weeks after an election. It is when officials determine a final count of votes, including mail-in ballots and provisional ballots deemed valid.
When a local election authority certifies total votes, it’s sent to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Until canvass, numbers are unofficial and may change.
How many ballots still need to be counted in the metro-east?
As of Thursday afternoon, there are 104 ballots that still need to be counted in St. Clair County, according to election supervisor Laura Kaemmerer. Additionally, there are four provisional ballots to be counted July 12. Mail-in ballots could cause this number to change.
Monroe County has 34 more ballots to count, 32 of which are mail-in ballots that haven’t been returned yet, and two that have been returned but not counted yet. There are currently no provisional ballots to be counted in Monroe.
In Randolph County, election officials are waiting on 26 vote-by-mail ballots that haven’t been returned. Out of those, one is from a civilian overseas, two are from people in the uniformed service and four are from residents of nursing homes.
Washington County had two mail-in ballots still needing to be counted as of Thursday afternoon.
Numbers for outstanding ballots were not immediately available for Madison or Clinton counties.
What if your ballot is contested?
In Illinois, voters are notified within two days if their ballot has been rejected. A ballot may be rejected for a number of reasons, including if the person was missing a signature on a mail-in ballot or when a voter’s registration does not appear on the precinct’s voter rolls.
Illinois voters have until 14 days after an election to resolve or “cure” a ballot issue with their local election authority.
