Late, Provisional Ballots Narrow Unit 4 Race, But Lanesskog Still Wins

The vote count is now officially over in Champaign County, and one race wound up even closer than what the Election Night count revealed.

Late absentee ballots were counted this (Tue) afternoon, with nine of them cast in the Unit 4 school board race that saw Stig Lanesskog leading Lynn Stuckey by only three votes. The count narrowed Lanesskog's win to just two votes. He says it's now time to concentrate on the school district's challenges.

"Managing through the end of the consent decree. taking advantage of the money now available from the sales tax, redistricting, restructuring plans that are going on, there's a lot going on," Lanesskog said. "So I'm hopeful we can all now focus on the important work that needs to be done in the district."

Stuckey hasn't decided if she'll seek a recount after losing by two votes out of more than five thousand cast. She says the result speaks to the importance of the ballot. "It's really about the power of the vote, and the need to get out there and vote, to be active, to be involved, to make a decision," Stuckey said.

None of the 29 extra ballots in the county were cast in Bondville, where a village board contest was decided by one vote.