On January 4, people across Virginia watched an important state election get decided in a very unusual way. With news cameras rolling, an election official reached into a bowl, pulled out one of the two names inside, and announced the winner: David Yancey.
The drawing was the culmination of a two-month battle in a neck-and-neck race between Republican incumbent Yancey and Democratic challenger Shelly Simonds for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. After a recount and a court ruling, the candidates found themselves with 11,608 votes apiece. And according to Virginia state law, tied elections must be settled by “lot,” or a drawing.
On January 4, people across Virginia watched a key state election get decided in a very unusual way. With news cameras rolling, an election official reached into a bowl and pulled out one of the two names inside. Then the official announced the winner: David Yancey.
The drawing was between Republican incumbent Yancey and Democratic challenger Shelly Simonds. It marked a critical point in the two-month battle in their neck-and-neck race for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates. After a recount and a court ruling, the candidates found themselves with 11,608 votes apiece. And according to Virginia state law, tied elections must be settled by “lot,” or a drawing.