It’s not what people have in mind when they say money wins elections.
“After all this work,” Joanne Ferrary says, “It could come down to a coin toss.”
Ferrary, a Democrat running for New Mexico state house in the 37th district, is deadlocked with her incumbent Republican Terry MacMillan. Nearly two weeks after Election Day, the votes have all been counted, and each candidate has received 6,247 of them.
It’s one of the weirder traditions of American democracy: In many states, if a race is tied, a “game by lot”—cards, straws, or most often, a coin toss—determines who goes to the house and who goes home.
Months of campaigning, committee assignments, the fortunes of careers, the possibility of political change—it all comes down, like possession in a football game, to heads or tails.
✁
More recently, coin tosses have broken ties in New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Missouri, Washington, Florida, Minnesota and New Hampshire. South Dakota and Arizona have used card games. In Virginia, the winner has been chosen from a hat.
At the local level, it happens all the time. Earlier this month in tiny Kenton Vale, Kentucky, two candidates for city commission each received 28 votes. They were required by law to settle the dispute “by lot.” (A duel is expressly forbidden by the state’s constitution.)
Two candidates went down to the courthouse to flip the sheriff’s coin. One left a city commission member. The other left with new car tags.
The classic paradox: Before something can happen in a comic strip, someone must draw it. But before they draw it, they must think of it, and before they think of it, they must have a little drink. So they hire a lazy ghost.
I’m all in favor of a duel. Back to back with charged pistols, step off 10 paces, turn and fire…. No Guts – no Glory – No unceasing calls for a recount from sore losers.
dflak about 6 weeks agoThis is definitely NOT the Catholic Church I grew up in.
The church I grew up in seemed to be modeled on the Nazi party: very authoritarian and in control of every aspect of your life down to what books you were allowed to read and when and how to have sex.
Cornelius Noodleman about 2 years ago
Heads I win, tails you lose.
nosirrom about 2 years ago
Truth is stranger…
https://www.eagletribune.com/news/local_news/coin-tosses-determine-election-winners/article_2d772d91-1dcb-5051-89f2-db2c2f2b03c1.html
RobinHood about 2 years ago
Bring on Clete Blakeman.
RobinHood about 2 years ago
RIP CNN+, we hardly knew ya.
Silly Season about 2 years ago
It’s not what people have in mind when they say money wins elections.
“After all this work,” Joanne Ferrary says, “It could come down to a coin toss.”
Ferrary, a Democrat running for New Mexico state house in the 37th district, is deadlocked with her incumbent Republican Terry MacMillan. Nearly two weeks after Election Day, the votes have all been counted, and each candidate has received 6,247 of them.
It’s one of the weirder traditions of American democracy: In many states, if a race is tied, a “game by lot”—cards, straws, or most often, a coin toss—determines who goes to the house and who goes home.
Months of campaigning, committee assignments, the fortunes of careers, the possibility of political change—it all comes down, like possession in a football game, to heads or tails.
✁
More recently, coin tosses have broken ties in New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Missouri, Washington, Florida, Minnesota and New Hampshire. South Dakota and Arizona have used card games. In Virginia, the winner has been chosen from a hat.
At the local level, it happens all the time. Earlier this month in tiny Kenton Vale, Kentucky, two candidates for city commission each received 28 votes. They were required by law to settle the dispute “by lot.” (A duel is expressly forbidden by the state’s constitution.)
Two candidates went down to the courthouse to flip the sheriff’s coin. One left a city commission member. The other left with new car tags.
~
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/11/when-a-state-election-can-be-literally-determined-by-a-coin-toss/265413/
Kip Williams about 2 years ago
The classic paradox: Before something can happen in a comic strip, someone must draw it. But before they draw it, they must think of it, and before they think of it, they must have a little drink. So they hire a lazy ghost.
christelisbetty about 2 years ago
Challenge him to arm wrestling Carmen, I think you could take him.
Vagabond53 about 2 years ago
I’m all in favor of a duel. Back to back with charged pistols, step off 10 paces, turn and fire…. No Guts – no Glory – No unceasing calls for a recount from sore losers.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] about 2 years ago
dflak about 6 weeks agoThis is definitely NOT the Catholic Church I grew up in.
The church I grew up in seemed to be modeled on the Nazi party: very authoritarian and in control of every aspect of your life down to what books you were allowed to read and when and how to have sex.
_
Sounds like Gilead to me.