A mayoral election in a Minneapolis suburb could be decided by drawing a name from a bag after unofficial results showed the two candidates tied with 1,401 votes each.
Robert Nelson and Halyn Roth each received 49.77 percent of the vote in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State website.
The city’s three precincts have reported their results, with 13 additional ballots cast for write-in candidates.
The Spring Lake Park City Council said it will compile the voting data and formally present the results at a public meeting on November 9 at 5.30pm in the City Hall council chambers.
‘The canvassing meeting is open to the public! Residents are welcome to attend and observe the process,’ the City Council said in a statement on Facebook.
City Administrator Daniel Buchholtz told CBS that the winner will be selected by drawing a name from a bag.
‘It’s a process that’s been outlined in state law for a long time and it’s a process that I believe is fair,’ Buchholtz told the outlet.
Roth told CBS that she was unhappy with the prospect of resolving the election by lot.
‘I don’t love it. I’ve heard from a lot of people who think that this is kind of a silly rule, that we wish we could do a revote or something else.’
Robert Nelson (pictured) and Halyn Roth each received 49.77 percent of the vote in the Spring Lake Park, Minnesota, mayoral race, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State website. Source: Hometownsource.com
Asked about resolving the tie by drawing lots, Roth (pictured) told CBS: ‘I don’t love it. I’ve heard from a lot of people who think that this is kind of a silly rule, that we wish we could do a revote or something else.’ Source: Facebook/Halyn Roth for Spring Lake Park Mayor
‘In case of a tie vote, the canvassing board having jurisdiction over the municipality shall determine the result by lot. The clerk of the canvassing board shall certify the results of the election to the county auditor, and the clerk shall be the final custodian of the ballots and the returns of the election,’ according to Minnesota Statute 205.185.
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Tied elections have previously been resolved by a coin toss. One example came in the 2018 Maplewood City Council race between Nikki Villavicencio and Marylee Abrams, who each initially received 5,755 votes.
After the official canvass, however, incumbent Abrams was found to be ahead by five votes, meaning the original coin toss was no longer valid.
The Spring Lake Park City Council race was also closely contested, with only 17 votes separating second-place candidate Eric Julien from third-place candidate Kenneth Wendling.
The City Council said that margin could qualify the contest for a publicly funded recount.
‘A losing candidate for nomination or election to a county, municipal, or school district office may request a recount of the votes cast for the nomination or election to that office if the difference between the vote cast for that candidate and for a winning candidate for nomination or election is less than one-quarter of one percent of the total votes counted for that office,’ states Minnesota Statute 204C.36.
Recounts have also determined the outcome of mayoral elections. In Brooklyn Park’s 2021 special mayoral election, Lisa Jacobson defeated Hollies Winston by just two votes after a recount.
After the City Council meeting, eligible candidates will have until 5pm on November 16 to submit an official recount request.
The City Council said it will compile the voting data and present the election results at a public meeting on November 9 at 5.30pm in the City Hall council chambers (pictured).
If a recount is held, it is scheduled for November 17 at the Anoka County Courthouse (pictured).
If a recount goes ahead, it is scheduled to take place on November 17 at the Anoka County Courthouse.
The Daily Mail has contacted Robert Nelson and Halyn Roth for comment.