McHenry County Democrats continued their practice of issuing press releases to update the results of their Presidential Penny Poll.

Yesterday, the imaginative addition was the fact that one candidate got a Chuck E. Cheese token. I hope they credited the candidate with 25 votes, because I think they are worth about a quarter.

Today the eye-opener was a report that a Republican McHenry County Board member dissatisfied with Republican Party choices that he or she was voting for one of the candidates at the Democratic Party booth.

Don’t you wonder who that was?

But if Barack Obama is your choice, you’ll need to toss in $20 to put him in the lead…and hand around so the Richardson supporters don’t put in more cash.

Folks still have today to cast their votes in the jars of their favorite candidates.

The press release follows:

RICHARDSON STRETCHES LEAD IN DEM PENNY POLL

CRYSTAL LAKE—New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson stretched his lead over Senator Barack Obama Saturday in the Penny Poll being conducted by the McHenry County Democratic Party at the McHenry County Fair. Richardson came in first in the daily tally for the first time since he dominated on opening day of the fair.

Obama continued to run a strong second in the cumulative vote. Senator Hillary Clinton retains significant support but still lags behind the frontrunners.

Former Senator John Edwards doubled Senator Joseph Biden’s vote on Saturday and regained a distant fourth place, followed by Gravel, Kucinich and Dodd, each unable to break out three digit totals on the fourth day of the Fair.

“The story here is the preference for diversity,” as County Chair Thomas Cynor analyzed it. “Just look at the top three vote getters. And despite the help from a very generous lady with a large piggy bank, Governor Richardson has had an impressive showing of support.“

At least one Republican County Board member known to be dissatisfied with the options in the Republican race and staffers for a high level GOP office holder were observed participating in the poll.

Here are the cumulative totals at Fair closing on Saturday:

Richardson – 14,381
Obama – 12,622
Clinton – 5,004
Edwards – 1,394
Biden – 1,213
Gravel – 634
Kucinich – 600
Dodd – 533

Sunday will be the last opportunity to participate in the Penny Poll at the McHenry County Democratic Party booth in Building C