Tie holds up Island Lake election

After weeks of ugly campaigning, Island Lake voters are close to having three new trustees.

With ballots in all 12 precincts counted, Shannon Fox and Thea Morris were atop a field of six candidates in a race for three seats.

The fate of the third seat wasn’t clear, however. Candidates Allen Murvine and Charles Cermak tied.

Unofficial results showed: Fox was first with 635 votes; Morris was second with 617 votes; and Cermak and Murvine tied at 575 votes.

Mary Piekarski was fifth with 556 votes and Joe Ptak was last with 522 votes, unofficial results showed.

Provisional and late-arriving ballots cast by mail could decide the race, Lake County clerk’s officials said. Those will be counted in 14 days.

A coin flip would determine the winner if the tie persists.

The six candidates were split into two slates. Three incumbents opted not to run again.

Fox, Morris and Ptak ran as a group and were critical of Mayor Debbie Herrmann. Cermak, Murvine and Piekarski were a separate slate and were backed by the mayor.

Each seat carries a 4-year term.

The vote totals reported here reflect ballots cast in Lake and McHenry counties, including absentee and early ballots in both counties.

The online election results reported on the McHenry County clerk’s election website do not include early or absentee ballots. An employee with the clerk’s office provided the figures over the telephone.

The Lake County clerk’s online vote totals for this race do include early and absentee ballots.