ST. PAUL, MN — Seven Minnesota elections ended in exact ties Tuesday, according to unofficial results, and a suburban mayor's race could be settled by a random drawing as soon as Monday.
If the numbers hold, luck could decide who takes office. State law says the canvassing board responsible for a race must break a tie by lot, which means a game of chance such as a coin flip.
In Spring Lake Park, which sits in Anoka and Ramsey counties, Mayor Robert Nelson and challenger Halyn Roth each received 1,401 votes, with all three precincts reporting. Another 13 votes went to write-ins.
City Council members, acting as the canvassing board, are due at City Hall at 5:30 p.m. Monday for a public meeting, ABC Newspapers reported. Any candidate seeking a recount would have until 5 p.m. Nov. 16 to ask, and it would tentatively take place the next day at the Anoka County Courthouse.
If the totals don't change and Nelson's name is drawn, Roth would ask for a recount, FOX 9 reported.
Pine Island has also set a date. Incumbent Delana Weis and challenger Dominick Pahl each got 711 votes for the second of two City Council seats. City staff told KTTC the seat will come down to a coin flip or pulling a name from a hat at a special council meeting at 6 p.m. Nov. 12.
The results come from the Minnesota Secretary of State. They could still change before they are canvassed.
TIED RACES
Spring Lake Park mayor: Robert Nelson and Halyn Roth, 1,401 votes each
Pine Island City Council: Delana Weis and Dominick Pahl, 711 votes each, for the second of two seats
St. Clair School Board (ISD 75): Elizabeth Cumberland and Ben Stover, 451 votes each, for the third of three seats
Jackson City Council, Ward 2: Wayne Walter and Joe Pell, 291 votes each, for the second of two seats
Foreston City Council: John Haugen and Jeffrey Ohman, 92 votes each, for the second of two seats
Dalton City Council: Paul Fresonke, Byron Dorn and Brent Thompson, 35 votes each, for the second of two seats
Shible Township supervisor, Seat A: Logan Tosel and Jeff Brown, 28 votes each
Minnesota has settled ties this way before. In Wrenshall in 2024, the mayor's race ended with 143 votes for each candidate, and challenger Jeff Bloom won when his name was drawn from a hat, KAXE reported. MPR News reported that a 2018 race in Manhattan Beach was settled by drawing a card.
A game of chance is not always the final word. In Maplewood in 2018, Nikki Villavicencio won a coin flip to break a City Council tie, then fell five votes behind incumbent Marylee Abrams in a hand recount, the Star Tribune reported.
WON OR LOST BY ONE VOTE
Another 15 Minnesota contests were separated by a single vote. In races with more than one open seat, these totals show the last winner and the first candidate out.
Spring Park City Council: Ben Rimolde 301, Michael E. Mason 300
Littlefork City Council: Todd Thydean 134, Rylan Street 133
Ellsworth City Council: Richard Gaul 86, Dillion Hoiland 85
Kandiyohi City Council: Tina Skappel 79, Jeff Clark 78
Landfall City Council: Norman Bleyle Sr. 64, Trisha Powers 63
Vesta mayor: Jason Kramer 56, Justin Kolander 55
Iona City Council: Kadence Duff 40, Kevin Doppenberg 39
Waltham City Council: Jamie Pater 36, Mary Ann Brogan 35
Ogema city ballot question: Yes 19, No 18
Holt City Council: Jamie Lee 14, Brooke Olson 13
Regal City Council: Connor L. Heinen 13, Angela Krupke 12
Henriette mayor: Giles Nelson 12, Ron Hovorka 11
Darfur City Council: Doreen Bowman 11, Andrew Bergstrom 10
Kenneth City Council: Cory Davis 9, Amber M. Davis 8
Fork Township ballot question: Yes 3, No 2
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