Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
MARION, Ill. (AP) — A coin flip has decided who will lead a tiny southern Illinois town after an election this month ended in a tie.
Tammy O'Daniell-Howell is the new village president of Colp, home to about 250 residents, after the coin toss Thursday.
Williamson County Clerk Amanda Barnes says opponent Bryan Riekena let O'Daniell-Howell choose heads or tails. She picked heads and that's where it landed.
Barnes says both candidates inspected the 2016 North Dakota quarter before the event and that she "let it just fall to the ground."
The candidates each received 11 votes in the April 4 election. Illinois law calls for coin flips to settle ties.
Barnes says the quarter was "the shiniest one" she could find in the office.
Colp is about 120 miles southeast of St. Louis.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
