The results released by the Summit County Clerk’s Office Wednesday show a 1% margin between the two candidates for seat C. All council seats are at-large, meaning they represent the entire county.
What was once a 1,200-vote lead for McKenna shrunk to just 278 because of in-person voting on Election Day. Summit County Clerk Eve Furse said her office processed all those ballots Wednesday, Nov. 13.
There were 740 early in-person voters and 1,334 on Nov. 5, so just over 2,000 total.
Furse estimated 700 ballots are left to count: enough that a McKenna victory isn’t guaranteed. Ioannides may have won the election if most of the remaining ballots are for him.
She said another round of numbers will be ready by Friday. Part of the reason it’s taken a week to report results is the high volume of write-ins this election.
Wednesday’s results also included an uptick in votes for Phil Lyman and Natalie Clawson for governor and lieutenant governor. They ran as write-ins after losing the Republican nomination to incumbent Gov. Spencer Cox and Lt. Gov. Diedre Henderson.
Locally, incumbent Democrat Roger Armstrong has a comfortable 4% lead to remain on the Summit County Council.
He was challenged by Hoytstville entrepreneur and Republican Tory Welch.
Two notable ballot initiatives also appear decided.
A new 0.5% sales tax to fund emergency services will pass, and northern Summit County rejected a $114 million bond to fund a new high school.
Once all votes are tallied, Summit County’s turnout this election will be over 85%.
Election results won’t be official until the county council certifies them. They’re expected to do so before the statewide certification Nov. 25.
