Today’s episode of the Arkansas Civic Minute is brought to you by Civic Arkansas, a Winthrop Rockefeller Institute program, and hosted by Little Rock Public Radio’s Politics and Government Reporter Josie Lenora.
In the event of an election tie, Arkansas has a process to decide the winner. The county Board of Election Commissioners will ask the candidates to draw lots at a public meeting. The law doesn't specify how, so different counties use different methods. They often draw numbers out of a hat or flip a coin to determine the winner. The policy is rarely used though, and is mostly needed in small local elections.
In 2018, a Hoxie city council election tied with a vote of 223 to 223. One candidate did not vote for himself in the election. If he had, he would have won the seat. The county had a public lot drawing with a dice roll determining the winner. His opponent won the election.
Support for the Arkansas Civic Minute is provided by Civic Arkansas, a Winthrop Rockefeller Institute program. As a nonprofit convenor, the Institute looks to strengthen civic health by putting people first, removing barriers to participation, and supporting community-led solutions for a more connected civic culture. More information at https://rockefellerinstitute.org/programs/civic-arkansas/.