A recount of the fall 2020 DuPage County Auditor election still has Democrat Bill White with more votes than former auditor Republican Bob Grogan, according to a county clerk report released Monday, and Grogan maintains the race still isn’t over.

       The report showed that White has 232,710 votes and Grogan has 232,652 following the recount — a 58-vote difference, according to unofficial recount returns. The original difference following the 2020 election was 75 votes.

       Even if about a dozen disputed, uninitialed ballots all went Grogan’s way, it wouldn’t be enough to overturn the results, the report said. White was sworn in and has been serving as auditor since late 2020.

       “Based upon the foregoing, pending a final determination by the Court on the few remaining legal issues, the Election Division found no change of the Election Results following the Court-ordered Recount,” according to the report from County Clerk Jean Kaczmarek, a Democrat.

       Grogan’s attorney Brian Armstrong said some concerns have been addressed but others remain. A “fairly significant” number of ballots remain, he said, such as more than 100 vote-by-mail envelopes that did not have a signature or did not have a proper signature.

       [Most read] Jussie Smollett trial begins with prosecutor alleging a bogus hate crime and actor’s defense insisting case was ‘tremendous rush to judgment’ ？

       “We are certainly not conceding anything” as a result of the report released Monday, Armstrong said.

       In a separate interview, Grogan said the report — which he didn’t look over before the morning hearing — said results haven’t changed, but he argues there are still items to review, and that could stretch into 2022.

       “We’ll still be arguing about a lot of different issues and it’s going to go into January. It’s amazing how horrible this process is,” said Grogan, who served as county auditor from 2008 to 2020.

       DuPage County Circuit Judge Craig Belford, the two candidates, their attorneys, and county clerk attorney Patrick Bond gathered for a remote court call Monday morning to discuss the report and next steps. Belford did not make any rulings Monday.

       Belford asked Bond if the unresolved matters could potentially sway the results.

       [Most read] Allstate to sell Northbrook campus for $232 million to industrial developer for massive new logistics facility ？

       “From a pure mathematic perspective, it does not appear as though the result of the election would change,” Bond said.

       The parties will meet again in court on Dec. 20 to address the unresolved matters.

       The clerk’s report was filed Wednesday but only made available Monday morning. Belford said he only gave it a quick read before holding the court hearing update Monday.

       “Obviously we need to analyze the report,” Armstrong said after receiving the report Monday.

       Following the late 2020 discovery recount of the election, the county clerk said nothing was found, yet it was enough for Belford to order a recount, Grogan said.

       [Most read] Backroom tensions between Black and Latino aldermen go public as ward map deadline and possible referendum loom ？

       “I give no credibility to the clerk and whatever they diagnose what they think has been found or hasn’t been found,” he said.

       White said the report validated what his observers noted in the full recount: that the election was well run, efficient and had very few issues.

       Even if every undisputed issue went against White, he said he would still remain the victor.

       “The result hasn’t changed,” he said. “It is what it is for now.”

       raguerrero@tribpub.com

       Democrat maintains edge in DuPage auditor election recount; Republican says race isn’t over yet

       2h

       Naperville man charged with aggravated DUI in crash that killed 3 people

       2h

       Criminal Justice Jussie Smollett trial begins with prosecutor alleging a bogus hate crime and actor’s defense insisting case was ‘tremendous rush to judgment’

       6m

       Business Allstate to sell Northbrook campus for $232 million to industrial developer for massive new logistics facility

       5h

       Politics Backroom tensions between Black and Latino aldermen go public as ward map deadline and possible referendum loom

       1h