McHenry County Clerk Reports Dismal Voter Turnout

Election judge Eugene Jumbeck spent the day at Grafton Township precinct 22 where only 41 voters out of 802 registered voters turned out to cast ballots.

“The cost per vote has to be astronomical, printing off all these ballots and having staff and judges here,” said Jumbeck, adding he was disappointed by the dismal voter turnout.

He was at the polling place located at village hall, on Main Street, where precinct 29 was also set up. Election judge Gerry Spiewak said judges saw a total of 112 voters throughout the day at the site.

McHenry County Clerk Katherine Schultz had predicted a 15 percent voter turnout, but the actual number was even lower_ 11.44 percent, Lake in the Hill Patch reported.

Election judge Bob Kunz has been working on elections, in various capacities, since 1964.

Tuesday’s election marked the lowest voter turnout he’s seen in the past 47 years.

“I was hoping to have 10 to 12 percent (voter turnout),” said Kunz , who was working Tuesday at the Grafton township precinct 28 polling site at Joy Community Church, 108 S. Lakewood Road in Lake in the Hills.

“The problem is, even though municipal elections are always in April, people don’t think about voting in April," Kunz said. "I’ve worked elections here where we’ve had 89 percent voter turnout, but not in April.”

By mid-day, 12 people had cast votes in Grafton precinct 28, which encompasses parts of Lake in the Hills and Huntley. The precinct has 910 registered voters, said Election Judge Paul Minarik of Huntley.

Minarik and his fellow judges speculated that the low turnout is due to several uncontested races and lack of campaigning by the candidates.

“You see the election signs out on the road but none of the candidates went around and put fliers in people’s doors,” Minarik said.

Across the room, election judges for Grafton Township precinct 23 reported having 14 voters. There are 352 registered voters in the precinct, said Election Judge Gary Cooney, of Huntley.

“That’s two voters per hour,” Cooney said. “I expected we would have less than 15 percent, but this is more like 3 percent."

First-time election judge volunteer Robin Passman passed the time knitting.

“I am kind of surprised at the turnout because people complain all the time,” Passman said. “If they complain now, I’m going to ask them, ‘Did you vote?’”

Cooney, 76, served eight years in the U.S. Navy and was more emotional regarding the apparent voter apathy.

"People are not here because it’s not important to them,” Cooney said. “They’re ignorant. I would like all the people who didn’t vote today to look at the flag and see the red for all the blood shed throughout the years by people fighting for our right to vote.”

-Huntley Local Editor Gloria Casas contributed to this story.