Veteran McHenry County election judge Petter Culver, 75, died Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack while results were being tabulated at McCullom Lake Village Hall, according to county officials. First responders and election staff worked together as the tabulation area was briefly secured, and Culver was pronounced dead at the scene.
County Clerk Joe Tirio, who had worked with Culver for years, praised his commitment to public service. Tirio said Culver "did not just talk about democracy" and had "shown up for it right until the very end." McHenry County Coroner Dr. Michael Rein thanked first responders and Tirio's team for their professionalism during what he called an "unusual and unfortunate event," as reported by NBC Chicago.
What election judges do
Election judges are the people who make Election Day actually work. They check in voters, run polling places, tally ballots, and certify precinct results. County officials note that many of these judges are volunteers who put in long, often exhausting shifts to keep the process moving smoothly.
According to McHenry County, judges are responsible for opening and closing the polls and handling vote tallies for their precincts. In this case, tabulation was taking place at McCullom Lake Village Hall, with the polling location listed at 4811 W. Orchard Drive on the Village of McCullom Lake website, a regular polling site in the village.
Timing and local turnout
Culver's death came as county staff was wrapping up tabulation following Tuesday's primary, underscoring how heavily local elections lean on experienced judges and volunteers who show up year after year.
Local reporting on early voting and expanded suburban polling locations has noted that officials have been urging residents to sign up as poll workers ahead of busy primaries, per the Daily Herald. County officials said they will share updates on memorial arrangements for Culver as that information becomes available.
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