The voter turnout figures for McHenry County’s March 18, 2014, Primary Election are below. Let’s look at those precincts and see where 25% or more of the voters turned out.
- 40.2% – Grafton 15 (Margo Bunda ran uncontested for committeeman, also in Sun City; Huntley Park District held a bond referendum.)
- 35.3% – McHenry 35 (Linda Kvidera-Murphy is the Committeeman; the Johnsburg School District held a bond referendum.)
- 37.2% – McHenry 4 (There was a race for Committeeman between challenger George Mann and appointed Committeeman Lee Steinsdoerfer, which Mann won; also on the ballot was the Johnsburg School bond issue referendum.)
- 35.3% – Nunda 29 (Nancy Gonsiorek is replacing Barb Wheeler as Committeeman. Gonsiorek ran for County Board.)
- 35.2% – Dorr 14 (Former County Board member Virginia Peschke is the outgoing Committeeman. No one ran to replace her in this Bull Valley precinct, but BV had a road tax referendum on the ballot.)
- 33.3% – Grafton 27 (No committeeman in this Sun City precinct, but there was the Huntley Park District referendum.)
- 32.8% – Grafton 26 (Linda Moore Precinct Committeeman, Sun City precinct, Huntley Park District referendum.)
- 32.2% – Hartland 2 (David Finke Precinct Committeeman)
- 30% – McHenry 15 (Steve Rooney Precinct Committeeman, Johnsburg School District referendum.)
- 28.8% – Seneca 2 (Gina LeFevour replaced County Board member Mary McCann, who did not run for re-election, as Committeeman.)
- 28.5% – McHenry 1 (The long-time Committeeman is Richard Mack, the Ringwood Village President. Much of the precinct is in the Johnsburg School District.
- 27.3% – Algonquin 23 (This is a typically high turnout precinct located in Trout Valley. The new Committeeman is Jackie Penze.)
- 27.1% – Alden (Write-in contest between Preston Re, a current Committeeman who did not file for re-election, and Steve Reick. the GOP candidate against Jack Franks.)
- 26.8% – Algonquin 7 (Cal Skinner, Jr., is the Committeeman.)
- 26.7% – Nunda 25 (In eastern Oakwood Hills, there is no Committeeman.)
- 26.6% – Hebron 2 (There was a hot Committeeman race between Lenora Nolan and Jim Walsh, which incumbent Nolan won 80-79.)
- 25.7% – McHenry 31 (A Johnsburg School District precinct, James Shannon is the new Committeeman.)
- 25.5% – Nunda 18 (Nunda 18 is Covered Bridge Trails. Dave Gervais is the Committeeman.)
- 25.4% – Grafton 2 (This mainly Country Club Additions Lakewood precinct has MCC Board member Tom Wilbeck as its new Committeeman.)
- 25.3% – Algonquin 36 (This is outgoing Chairman and State Rep. Mike Tryon’s precinct.)
- 25.3% – McHenry 16 (Another Johnsburg School District precinct. Gergory Foreman is the continuing Committeeman.)
- 25% – Nunda 11 (This is Mark Daniels’ precinct. He is Tryon’s choice to succeed him as GOP Chairman.)
Although it is doubtful if the spring primary were 2 months later (Tuesday prior to the Memorial Day holiday) that turnout would improve, at least it would shorten the election season by 2 months.
Problem is, too many people in power like the date of the primary where it is.
And even proposals for a “jumbo”/expanded primary, where top 2 votegetters regardless of party would appear on the November ballot may increase turnout by removing the “R” and “D” in voter registration rolls, again, too many people in power like it the way it is.
17% turnout, in spite of the hotly contested primary for sheriff and 2 open seats for county clerk and treasurer.
Pathetic.
It was really bad, but it was actually better than I thought we’d have.
Definitely not the worst.
My precinct had 1.5% voter turnout in the primary last year–11 votes total.
Odd number years are the worst.
The only time it gets above 50 is during a Presidential race.
storm – states that have open primaries do not do any better with turnout.
People are the problem.
They turn out for refs because they do not want their taxes to go up.
What they are too stupid to realize is that the primary races are the ones that get the people on the ballot that raise our taxes.
They complain that there are not good choices for the general elections.
The choices are determined by the primary elections.
You can call this amount of voter turn out as pathetic.
However, would you rather have a bunch of uninformed voters turn out and vote like they did in high school for the class President (popularity and not issues).
Would it be better to have those informed come out to vote?
Which poison is easier to swallow?
Brent
I would love to see the “informed” voters come out to vote!
They stay home in droves!
The ignorant ‘bird feeders” come out to vote.
How else do you explain the vote in favor of a County Chairman which will increase the cost of campaigns AND the cost of running the County?
Many do not want to declare Republican or Democrat.
Any Referendum to spend and overspend more of our money is cleverly put on Primary ballots knowing people don’t turn out as they would for (ex.) a Presidential Election.
These slick moves to spend, spend, spend get little news coverage and less notice to our homes.
Let’s disallow referendums on Primary ballots and make the people who spend so freely have to work for it and take the chance they’ll have to face an honestly informed voter at the ballot box.
The Huntley Park District should be ashamed of itself.
It’s a lot better than it used to be.
When I ran for the GOP nomination for County Treasurer in 1966, the Saturday before the Crystal Lake Grade School District had a bond or tax rate hike referendum.
Since then elections have been consolidated, first to five every two years, now four.