Democrat Kristen Fryman won a Kentucky magistrate race after a coin toss broke her 91-91 tie with Republican Benny Ray Renner. (Foto: Instagram)
A tied election in Robertson County, Kentucky, was decided by a coin toss, with Democrat Kristen Fryman defeating Republican Benny Ray Renner. The candidates each received 91 votes in the race for magistrate of the 2nd District.
The tiebreaker used a quarter, according to public radio station WEKU. Fryman won the draw and secured the seat.
Fryman told the station she was surprised by the result and had been told that a tie of this kind had never happened in the county. She said Renner chose heads or tails because his name appeared first on the ballot. He picked heads, but the coin landed on tails.
The United States has no single nationwide procedure for resolving election ties. Each state sets its own rules, which may include recounts or a drawing of lots. In Kentucky, state law provides for a drawing when two or more candidates receive the highest and equal number of votes for an office. The law also allows challenges and requests for recounts.
U.S. ballots can include races for executive and legislative offices and, in some states and localities, judicial positions. They may also ask voters to weigh in on issues such as abortion and marijuana regulation, or on state symbols.
