Consolidated election voter turnout was slightly higher than normal in Lee and Whiteside counties

DIXON – Lee and Whiteside counties had a slightly higher voter turnout for Tuesday’s election compared with previous consolidated elections.

Total voter turnout was 16.77% of the 22,248 registered voters in Lee County and 18.01% of 37,881 in Whiteside. Lee County had a total of 3,730 ballots cast and Whiteside had 6,822, according to unofficial election results Wednesday afternoon.

In Lee County, voter turnout is usually about 14% for consolidated elections, so “it’s a pretty good turnout,” Lee County Clerk and Recorder Nancy Petersen said in an interview with Shaw Local. “I think we were a little bit busier than we usually are, but everything went extremely well.”

For Whiteside County, voter turnout was less than 13% in 2023 and about 14% in 2021, so “we’re a little bit better than it’s been the last couple of consolidated elections,” Whiteside County Clerk Karen Stralow said in an interview with Shaw Local.

Petersen and Stralow said they were both down election judges. In Lee County, Petersen estimated they were about 30 short.

“We’re always still looking for those,” Petersen said.

“With the size of the election, they were able to handle the voters,” Stralow said.

Looking at the increased number of voters, Petersen said, “there was quite a few contested races, so that usually helps the turnout.”

In Lee County, the precinct with the highest turnout was Ashton 2 at 40.26% of 308 registered voters. Close behind was Ashton 1 at 39.73% of 448 voters, according to the unofficial results.

Ashton had contested races for village president and trustee. In the race for village president, Tim Henert was elected with 150 votes against challenger John Martinez’s 113 votes, according to the unofficial results.

The four elected trustees were Terry Greenfield with 210 votes, Mark Maurer with 207, Dan Hillison with 187 and Levi Decker with 147. The fifth candidate, Sean Zellers, lost with 86 votes, according to the unofficial results.

In Whiteside County, Albany had the highest turnout with 46.52% of 733 registered voters.

Like Ashton, Albany had contested races for village president and trustee. John (Jack) Seifert was elected president with 200 votes, while his opponent, Jerry Anglese, landed at 124 votes, according to the unofficial results.

For village trustee, the three elected were Pamela L. Piersol at 189 votes, Robert J. Brashaw Jr. at 188 and Timothy Alan McDonald at 188. They ran against Robert Griffis who got 135 votes, Joyce M. Tegeler with 116 and Richard (Floyd) Boston at 101, according to the unofficial results.

The official results won’t be available until April 15 because Illinois gives election departments two weeks to certify their numbers.