Why Your County Board Vote Matters More Than You Think
Published by Neighbors for a Better McHenry County PAC
Every four years, millions of Americans pay close attention to who sits in the Oval Office. Every two years, they tune in for congressional races. But ask most McHenry County residents who represents them on the County Board, and you’ll likely get a blank stare.
That’s not a criticism. It’s a structural problem — and it’s one that costs us.
Because here’s the truth: the decisions made in the McHenry County Board room affect your daily life far more directly than most of what happens in Washington.
What the County Board Actually Controls
The McHenry County Board oversees a budget in the hundreds of millions of dollars. It makes decisions about:
Public health services. The county funds and administers mental health programs, substance use treatment, preventive care, and public health emergency response. When the County Board cuts corners on the budget, those programs feel it first.
Land use and zoning. Want to know why housing costs are rising in McHenry County? Part of the answer lies in decisions made at the county level — about where housing can be built, what kinds of housing are permitted, and how development is managed.
The county budget and your tax dollars. The County Board decides how hundreds of millions of dollars in public money are spent — and, critically, how the county manages its long-term fiscal health. When that management fails, residents pay the price.
The court system and public safety. The county funds the State’s Attorney’s office, the Sheriff’s department, the court system, and the jail. These are fundamental public safety functions controlled entirely at the local level.
Infrastructure and the environment. Stormwater management, road maintenance, and environmental programs are county responsibilities. The decisions made here shape the physical landscape of McHenry County for decades.
The Attention Gap Is a Power Gap
When voters don’t pay attention to local elections, it doesn’t mean nothing happens. It means that the people who do pay attention — the organized, the well-connected, the ideologically motivated — get to make the decisions for everyone else.
In McHenry County, that dynamic has played out for years. Low turnout in county board races. Minimal scrutiny of candidates. A governing majority that has operated largely without accountability — freezing taxes to score political points while quietly drawing down the county’s financial reserves to fund basic operations.
Most residents had no idea this was happening. And why would they? Local government doesn’t get the coverage that national politics does. There’s no cable news cycle devoted to the McHenry County Board. There are no viral moments from county board meetings.
That’s exactly why it matters so much who shows up.
The Math of Local Elections
Here’s something that might surprise you: County Board races in McHenry County are often decided by a few hundred votes. In some districts, the margin between winning and losing is smaller than the number of people on a single neighborhood block.
That means a relatively small number of engaged voters — people who show up, who talk to their neighbors, who pay attention — can genuinely change the outcome.
This is not true of presidential elections, where individual votes are one of tens of millions. It is absolutely true of county board races, where your vote carries real weight.
When we analyzed precinct-level results from the 2024 general election, we found something striking: in multiple McHenry County districts, Democratic candidates for County Board ran significantly behind the presidential ticket. Voters who came out to support candidates at the top of the ballot simply didn’t bring that same energy to county races.
That gap — between what voters do at the top of the ticket and what they do for local offices — is the central challenge Neighbors for a Better McHenry County PAC was formed to address.
What Happens When the Right People Win
Change at the local level is tangible and fast. Unlike federal legislation, which can take years to work through the system, a new County Board majority can shift budget priorities, change how county services are managed, and bring a fundamentally different approach to governance — in a matter of months.
A County Board with honest, responsible leadership can:
- Stabilize the county’s fiscal situation with a credible long-term plan instead of the reserve drawdowns that have become standard practice
- Protect and strengthen public health services that families across McHenry County depend on
- Take attainable housing seriously as a county-level policy priority
- Govern transparently, with respect for residents’ intelligence and their right to know how their tax dollars are being spent
None of this requires a revolution. It requires the right people in the right seats — and enough voters paying attention to put them there.
What You Can Do Right Now
Get informed. Learn who represents you on the McHenry County Board and how they’ve voted. Attend a board meeting. Read the budget. Ask questions.
Show up. In 2026, there will be County Board races across McHenry County. Make a plan to vote in the primary and the general election — and bring someone with you.
Get involved. Neighbors for a Better McHenry County PAC is working to elect accountable leaders to the County Board. We need volunteers, donors, and people who are willing to have conversations with their neighbors about why this election matters.
Donate. Every dollar we raise goes directly toward supporting candidates in our targeted races. In local elections, relatively small amounts of money have an outsized impact.
The decisions that shape your daily life in McHenry County aren’t made in Washington. They’re made a lot closer to home. It’s time more of us started acting like it.
Neighbors for a Better McHenry County PAC is working to elect responsible, accountable leaders to the McHenry County Board. Learn more at neighborsforabettermchenrycounty.com.
Paid for by Neighbors for a Better McHenry County PAC. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.