CHESTERTOWN — The count of nearly 1,000 mail-in votes on Thursday clinched seats on the Kent County Board of Education for Laura McKenzie and John Queen.
While the results are unofficial until the election is certified after a final canvass next week, the outcome will not change.
The term is four years, beginning in January 2025.
After Thursday’s count of 971 mail-in ballots, when she received 341 votes, McKenzie maintained a double-digit lead in the four-person race. Her total of 5,320 represents 37.5% of the votes cast.
Queen’s lead of nearly 250 votes over incumbent Francoise Sullivan on Election Day changed minimally after Thursday’s count, when Queen (23.2%) picked up 308 additional votes and Sullivan (21.7%) collected 350.
The other candidate seeking one of the two open seats is Piers Heriz-Smith (16.7%).
The school board race is nonpartisan.
According to the Kent County Board of Elections, about 2,200 mail-in ballots were received. After Thursday’s canvass, 1,971 have been counted.
The provisional ballot canvass is 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13 at the Kent County Board of Elections Office in Chestertown.
A second canvass of mail-in ballots and final canvass is 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 15.
According to the unofficial results posted on the Kent County Board of Elections’ website, McKenzie has led in all stages of the election — early voting (1,784), mail-in voting (736) and Election Day (2,800).
The other totals are: Queen, 3,291; Sullivan, 3,085; and Heriz-Smith, 2,368.
There have been 99 write-ins, representing less than 1% of the votes.
There are 14,126 registered voters in Kent County, according to local elections officials.
The breakdown includes 5,758 Democrats and 5,464 Republicans.
The school board election was the only local race for Kent County voters.
Joe Goetz, the current board president, did not seek election to a third term.
Trish McGee, owner and publisher of The Evening Enterprise, is an elected member of the Kent County Board of Education.
