Posted on 05/18/2005 1:26:42 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
New vote scheduled for June 11
RANCHO VIEJO, — Rancho Viejo mayoral candidates decided to scrap a risky game of chance to decide the tied May 7 election, opting to take a new vote instead.
Incumbent Ray Downs and challenger Craig Flood could have participated in a coin toss to decide who would be the town’s next mayor.
“That (coin toss would) disenfranchise the voters that did turn out,” Flood, 62, said.
The mayoral election ended with Downs and Flood receiving 213 votes each.
Officials said the tie is “a first” in the town’s history.
A recount held Monday did not change the outcome.
A single provisional vote that could have decided the race was disqualified because of residency questions.
The candidates were provided with three options to determine the tiebreaker, they said.
One could drop out of the race, they could submit to a coin toss or agree to a new election.
A new election is set for June 11. Early voting begins May 25 and runs through June 7 at City Hall. Votes can be cast from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
It was not immediately known how much the new election would cost the town.
Downs’ name will appear first on the ballot, but he said it will not give him an advantage in the race.
“I think a person that is going to vote, before they go into the voting place, that they have (already) decided” who they will vote for, said Downs, 74.
Cameron County Elections Administrator Roger Ortiz said that Rancho Viejo registered voters who failed to vote in the May 7 election are eligible to vote in the June 11 election.
“It’s completely new. It is as if they haven’t had their election yet,” Ortiz said.
Downs and Flood plan to post political signs in the town and both are planning their campaign strategies.
Flood did not what to speculate what would happen should the June 11 election end in another tie.
“I’m just not even going to consider that option. I’m more concerned about getting the voters out, whether they are for me or not,” Flood said.
If there is another tie, Downs said, “I think I would call (Ripley’s) ‘Believe it or Not.’”
lmartinez@brownsvilleherald.com
I am getting tired of the word "disenfranchise". The voters on the losing side of the coin toss would not have their right to vote taken away - no more so than if they lost by one vote. They would just have lost.
Similarly, you are not "disenfranchised" if election day is rainy and you don't have a good umbrella.
Any of these folks want a job at King County Records and Elections? I suspect there will be some open positions there shortly.
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