Two local elections hinge on mail-in ballots

The Apr. 4 election will be officially certified by Apr. 18. Only two local races were close enough for results to remain in doubt, with margins as narrow as six votes. Hundreds of mail-in ballots had been requested by voters but hadn't been mailed in by Election Day.

Residents were allowed to vote by mail as late as Apr. 4 and after these votes are counted, the results will be certified two weeks later, on Apr. 17.

On Election Night, four current members of the South Beloit City Council had the highest unofficial totals.

But challenger Rob McLain was only six votes behind incumbent Ken Morse. So after all mail-in votes are counted, McLain could wind up in office instead of Morse.

In the Prairie Hill School Board election, the current school board president will be joined on the board by a Golden Apple Award winner. But again, the totals for the third position are very close, with Justin Keller "Keller the Science Feller" at 282 votes,  Jared Eischeid at 272, and  Joshua Ballard at 271.