Where Were Buffalo Grove's Voters?

Did you vote in the April election?

If so, you were in the vast minority, according to unofficial tallies from the Lake and Cook county clerks’ offices.

There are 19,674 registered voters in the Lake County portion of Buffalo Grove. Of those, only 1,315 cast ballots in the village trustee race, according to data from the Lake County clerk’s website. That’s less than 7 percent voter turnout.

The numbers were only slightly higher in the Cook County portion of Buffalo Grove, which claims 9,562 registered voters. Of those voters, 8.2 percent cast ballots in the trustee race.

The three incumbent candidates for Buffalo Grove’s village board were the only ones whose names were listed on the ballot. While it’s not yet clear how many of the remaining votes went to write-in challenger Jeff Battinus, not enough ballots remain for him to have ousted one of his opponents.

Voter turnout was also low for contested school board races, where the districts stretch into multiple towns. Less than 13 percent of District 21’s 34,279 voters cast ballots in this election. In District 96, less than 10 percent of voters expressed their preference for board members. In District 102, just over 7 percent of voters cast ballots.

The Buffalo Grove-area numbers fall well below the overall voter turnout in both counties. The Lake County clerk's website reports that turnout was at 17.6 percent, while Cook County reports an overall 18.8 percent of voters cast ballots.

Did you vote in this election? Why or why not? Tell us in the comment section below.

Find out who won in specific Buffalo Grove-area races here