Absentee, provisional ballots change outcome of Bensenville race

A sitting Bensenville village trustee fell 10 votes short in her re-election bid, officials say, after it appeared she had kept her seat on Election Night.

JoEllen Ridder learned this week that the close race she thought she had won on April 7 actually went to newcomer Agnieszka Jaworska.

On Election Night, unofficial results showed two members of the Residents' Voice Party slate - Frank DeSimone and Rosa M. Carmona - securing the most votes in the race for three village board seats. At the time, it also appeared the third available seat on the panel would go to Ridder.

But then DuPage County Election Commission officials counted about 40 absentee and provisional ballots that weren't included in the Election Night total. The results were updated on Tuesday evening.

The most recent tallies show DeSimone with 800 votes, Carmona with 773 and the third member of their slate - Jaworska - with 755 votes. The updated totals show Ridder with 745.

"That switched it. I think it was almost a 19-vote swing," said Joseph Sobecki, assistant executive director of the election commission.

Once the results are deemed official by the commission on April 28, Sobecki said Ridder can ask for a discovery recount.

But Ridder said on Thursday she doesn't think it's necessary to pursue a recount. "I have faith in the election authority," she said.

If the results stand, it means all three Residents' Voice Party candidates were victorious.

"I am just completely thrilled how everything turned out for us," Jaworska said Thursday. "I'm so happy that the three of us won the election and are able to serve on the village board."

Ridder ran on an unsuccessful slate that included incumbent Robert Jarecki, who received 725 votes, and newcomer Luis Tellez, who received 674 votes.

"We had a lot of tough decisions to make as a board," Ridder said. "And I think we made decisions in the best interest of the village. Obviously, there are voters out there that don't feel that way."

Ritter said she wishes "the best of luck" to the new trustees. "I hope that they can work as a board together to continue to make good decisions for the village."

The Residents' Voice Party candidates have said the election was a referendum on the village's status quo. "You can just see based on the results that Bensenville wants a real change in town," Jaworska said.