Bumbling Chicago election officials ‘find’ 10,000 missing ballots in Democratic primary race for DA – with just 4,800 votes separating the candidates
The Chicago Board of Elections says it made an error in tabulating the results of the Democratic primary for Cook County state’s attorney.
The race to lead the nation’s second-largest prosecutor’s office could not have been tighter, with just 4,800 votes separating the candidates after a heated primary campaign in the Chicago area.
At last count, Eileen O’Neill Burke leads Clayton Harris III by 4.7771 votes. O’Neill Burke has 255,010 votes, while Harris has 250,239 votes.
But the Board of Elections has said it plans to add another 10,000 votes to the total vote after some mail-in ballots were “erroneously omitted.”
Eileen O’Neill Burke, a former appellate judge, currently leads Clayton Harris III by 4,771 votes
The Chicago Board of Elections has admitted it made a mistake in mapping the Democratic primary for Cook County State’s Attorney
‘This week I traded speed for accuracy in reporting figures as quickly as possible. I deeply regret this error on my part and regret the confusion it has caused among the voters of Chicago. I will only share updated numbers if they are accurate and verified,” Max Bever, public information officer for the Chicago Board of Elections, said in a statement.
“More results will come in in the coming week, both large and small,” Bever said on Sunday afternoon. “We continue to ask for voters’ patience as the process continues, and by law, all votes will be counted.”
Mail-in ballots were delivered on Monday, March 18. It is not clear why they were not included in the original count.
Harris has slowly closed the gap with Burke as election officials in Chicago and suburban Cook County counted ballots.
Bever continues: ‘I made an error that should have been included in the figures ‘received on election day’.
O’Neill Burke is a former appellate judge with a large war chest, while Harris is a professor and lawyer who has held government posts.
Neither candidate has conceded or declared victory, nor has the Associated Press called the race.
The winner of the Democratic stronghold’s primary is expected to win outright in November.
Clayton Harris III is a lawyer with union and establishment support
Eileen O’Neill Burke, a former anti-crime appellate judge, leads by a narrow margin
“We are cautiously optimistic, but we must ensure that all votes are counted,” O’Neill Burke told supporters.
Harris, meanwhile, has asked his supporters for patience, saying all parts of the county matter: “So we’re going to wait and we’re going to count the votes.”
The race is open because Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx was not seeking a third term.
She was one of several progressive prosecutors elected in major U.S. cities over the past decade, including Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
Many have been criticized for being weak on crime, but in Chicago, both Democratic candidates have been more cautious in their criticism of Foxx and have said they will continue her approach on some issues.
Harris says punishment for crimes should take racial and community differences into account.
When it comes to fundraising, O’Neill Burke leads the way with about double Harris’ amount
Harriss III managed to raise $750,000 and received strong endorsements from labor unions, progressive leaders and the Cook County Democratic Party
He often talks about his personal experiences as a black man raising children in Washington Park, a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side.
He says the office needs to strengthen its special prosecution unit and improve communication with police.
“We hear gunshots sometimes, and no one wants to live like that,” he said. “I understand how safety and justice impact our communities.”
O’Neill Burke says there should be tougher penalties, especially for those who contribute to the flow of illegal weapons.
“Our justice system isn’t working right now, but I don’t think anyone living in Chicago right now would disagree with that,” she said.
She calls for more lawyer training and unity to protect abortion rights, while continuing Foxx’s restorative justice efforts.
Harris has said he will continue Foxx’s controversial policy of not prosecuting shoplifting as a misdemeanor unless the value of the stolen goods is more than $1,000. State law sets a misdemeanor threshold of $300.
When it comes to fundraising, O’Neill Burke leads the way with roughly double Harris’ amount, just under $2 million compared to about $750,000. Her amount includes money from top Republican donors.
But Harris has received significant support from labor unions, progressive leaders and the Cook County Democratic Party.
The district attorney’s office has more than 700 attorneys and is the largest in the country after Los Angeles.