A coin toss decided a tied magistrate race in Robertson County, Kentucky, giving Democrat Kristen Fryman the 2nd District seat over Republican Benny Ray Renner. (Foto: Instagram)
Democrat Kristen Fryman won a race for magistrate in Kentucky’s Robertson County after she and Republican Benny Ray Renner each received 91 votes. A coin toss settled the tie, giving Fryman the seat in the 2nd District.
The tiebreaker used a 25-cent coin, according to public radio station WEKU. Fryman said she was surprised by the result and had been told a tie of this kind had never happened in the county.
“I was a little shocked because, from what I was told, this had never happened in our county before,” Fryman said.
Fryman said Renner chose heads or tails because his name appeared first on the ballot. He called heads, but the coin landed on tails, making Fryman the winner.
The United States has no single nationwide procedure for resolving tied elections. States set their own rules, which may include recounts or random draws. Kentucky law says a tie for the highest number of votes is resolved by lot, while also allowing candidates to challenge the result and request a recount.
In the United States, voters elect executive and legislative officials and, in some states and localities, judicial officials as well. Ballots may also include ballot measures on issues such as abortion and marijuana regulation, along with votes on state symbols.
