Shuffled canisters to settle election tie in Virginia

It’s 2017. We have self-driving cars and face-scanning technology on our phones — but we’re still using coin tosses and names in a hat to break election ties, such as a nail-biting legislative race in Virginia.

That’s right: When it comes to elections, America is still living in ancient times. (Ancient Greece used similar methods to break ties.)

The tie in the Virginia House of Delegates is rare. Ties in general are uncommon, though they happen on occasion in local races. They become increasingly rare in statewide races and have never happened on the federal level, according to a study in 2001.

But these somewhat odd traditions of breaking ties probably aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

At first, Virginia Democrat Shelly Simonds heard she had won the race by a single vote. But Wednesday, a panel of judges ruled that a ballot — originally thrown out by officials — should be counted in favor of her opponent, Republican David Yancey.

The tie will be settled by placing both names in old film canisters and shuffling them in a clear bowl. The canister chosen will hold the winner of the race, according to The Virginia Pilot. Experts said these methods, though a bit oddly specific, are fair and likely to be used again.

“I honestly don’t think there’s a better way to do it,” said Jacob Neiheisel, an assistant professor of political science at the University at Buffalo. “It’s a tradition we’ve long held — and it works. Both candidates have a 50-50 chance of winning, and there isn’t a way to cheat.”

Some states choose to do additional recounts, hold expensive special elections or allow a higher elected official to choose the winner, which could be biased based on a political party, Neiheisel said.