Coin Toss Decides EMS Levy Issue In Pickaway County Village

Presented By Atomic Speedway & Chillicothe VAMC

(Columbus) – A Pickaway County village has seen their election day EMS levy fail as the result of a coin toss. The Village of Williamsport’s EMS Levy Issues failed, after a recount of election day results showed a tie vote of 65-65.

This was one of more than a dozen such cases in Ohio where a coin toss made the final outcome.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said, “In November, eighteen different local races in eighteen different counties ended in a tie, and any single, solitary voter would have made the difference in the outcome.”

He said tied candidate races are ultimately decided by a coin flip administered by the county board of elections. But, issue races resulting in a tie are defeated, since Ohio law requires a majority of affirmative votes. 

Under Ohio law, the tie is broken by the board of elections to determine the winner by flipping a coin or by other methods, such as drawing straws, picking a name written on paper out of a hat, or cutting cards. 

While winners were declared in the races, since they were so close, a recount was performed.