Early voting is extremely light for Oswego Republican primary election

Kendall County voters will decide referendum questions in the June 28 primary election. Early voting gets underway May 19. (Mark Foster -- mfoster@shawmedia.com)

It is two weeks into early and mail-in balloting for the village of Oswego Republican primary election and voting has been extremely light.

Kendall County Director of Elections Natalie Hisaw said Feb. 2 that just 12 voters have cast in-person early ballots, while only 51 mail-in ballots have been returned so far, out of the 312 that were requested.

The Feb. 28 primary for Republican candidates seeking seats on the Oswego Village Board and as board president will be the only election to be held in Kendall County that day.

The consolidated election, in which voters throughout the county will select municipal, school, library and fire protection district officials, is April 4.

Winners of the Oswego GOP primary will face off against Democratic candidates in that election.

The tiny number of in-person early voting ballots cast may be attributed in part to the fact that the only location to do so is in Yorkville at the Kendall County Office Building, 111 W. Fox St.

There will be just six Oswego locations for voting on primary Election Day for the same reason: as a cost-saving measure.

Nevertheless, the price of holding the primary will be expensive.

Kendall County Clerk Debbie Gillette said that the cost of holding the special GOP primary has already exceeded $10,000 and is expected to go higher.

“Invoices are coming in,” Gillette said. “The costs are adding up.”

Mail-in ballots need to be postmarked no later than Feb. 28 and must be received by the Elections Office by March 14 in order to be counted, Hisaw said.

Gillette is forecasting low voter turnout for the Oswego primary. She noted that the consolidated election in 2019 produced less than 15% voter turnout, while the 2017 contest was less than 12%.

The Oswego voting precincts will be consolidated into six polling places on Election Day.

• Voters from Bristol precincts 3 and 5 will cast ballots at Crosspointe Church, 8 W. Rickard Drive.

• Those from Oswego precincts 2, 7, 21, 25 and 26 will vote at Hunt Club Elementary School, 4001 Hunt Club Drive.

• Voters from Oswego precincts 3, 4, 30 and 33 will cost ballots at Oswego East High School, 1525 Harvey Road.

• Voters in Oswego precincts 10, 11, 22, 28 and 32 will vote at Oswego Village Hall, 100 Parkers Mill.

• Voters from Oswego precincts 13, 17, 20 and 24 will cast ballots at Thompson Junior High School, 440 Boulder Hill Pass.

• Those from Oswego precincts 16, 23, 29 and 31 will vote at Southbury Elementary School, 820 Preston Lane.

Oswego Village President Troy Parlier is being challenged in his reelection bid by village Trustee Brian Thomas. Both filed as Republicans. The primary winner will face former Trustee Ryan Kauffman, a Democrat, in the April 4 election.

Meanwhile, incumbent trustees running as Republicans are James T. Marter II and Terry Olson. Also filing under the GOP banner are Robert Lockwood, Michael J. Wirtz, Sarah Zemeda and Jason Kapus.

The top three vote-getters in the Republican primary will face off in the April 4 election against the three candidates for trustee who filed as Democrats, including Karin McCarthy-Lange, Luis Perez and Andrew Torres.

Both McCarthy-Lange and Perez previously served on the board.