Harlem School Board election decided by mail in ballots

Hastings wins: Mail-in ballots reverse lead in Harlem School Board race

Story by Corina Curry, Rockford Register Star • Yesterday 8:02 PM

An overjoyed and grateful Megan Hastings took to Facebook Tuesday night to thank her supporters and proclaim victory in her April 4 race for Harlem School Board.

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Megan Hastings, second from left, poses while campaigning with her daughters and wife. According to official election results released Tuesday, April 18, 2023, Hastings won a four-way race for Harlem School Board.© PHOTO PROVIDED BY MEGAN HASTINGS

"For those of you have not heard, we did it. We did it Harlem 122," Hastings said, moments after the Winnebago County Clerk did a final update to election results posted on the clerk's website. "The results are official. I have been officially declared the winner of the two-year position, and I'm unbelievably excited."

UPDATED: Your election results here: Rockford, Freeport, Belvidere, Parks and more

Up until Tuesday evening, Hastings was in second-place in a four-way race.

Candidate Pamela Harding was in the lead with 1,301 votes. Hastings had 1,273 votes. Incumbent Sue Berogan got 656 votes, and a fourth candidate, Andrea Prentice, got 351.

Official election results that include any mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day but received by the election office after Election Day put Hastings in the lead with 1,370 votes to Harding's 1,357 votes. Berogan picked up 25 more votes, ending with 681, and Prentice ended with 363 votes.