CHICAGO — Not sure who your next alderman is? You could be waiting weeks for an answer.
The Board of Elections announced Wednesday that though most precincts have been counted and absentee ballots will mostly roll in this week, provisional ballots could take until April 23 to be processed.
With such close races in the 10th, 43rd and 16th wards, that means this race could stretch on until then.
In the 43rd Ward, challenger Caroline Vickrey took a six-vote lead over incumbent Ald. Michele Smith Wednesday afternoon following a recount of two precincts.
In the 10th Ward, Ald. John Pope is trailing challenger Susan Sadlowski Garza by 89 votes, according to a count released Wednesday evening.
Garza had 5,747 votes, or 50.4 percent, while Pope had 49.6 percent, or 5,658 votes, according to the Board of Election Commissioners.
"We are now at 2,065 of 2,069 precincts reporting," said Jim Allen, a spokesman for the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, in a Wednesday update to reporters. "We will be processing approximately 10,080 absentee ballots from all 50 wards on Thursday and Friday."
Allen said they will receive "potentially eligible absentee ballots" through April 21 and process provisional ballots then. Provisional ballots are ballots cast by voters who had their eligibility questioned at the polls on Election Day. Voters still are allowed to vote, but the ballot is counted only if officials can verify the voters' eligibility.
"Nothing will be final or 'official' until the proclamation on April 23," Allen said.
In the 16th Ward, Ald. Toni Foulkes, who previously represented the 15th Ward, has declared victory, but her opponent has not conceded. Just 112 votes separated Foulkes and challenger Stephanie Coleman Wednesday afternoon.
DNAinfo/Tanveer Ali
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