Illinois village to resolve election tie with coin flip

Per state law, the tie will be resolved by a flip of a coin. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File)

The next president of a southern Illinois community will be decided by the flip of a coin.

"Heads or tails" will break the 11-vote tie between two candidates running for the job of village president.

Candidate Tammy O’Daniell-Howell is a lifelong resident of Colp, Ill., and has been the town clerk since 2009. She decided to run for village president to honor her father, the village’s former mayor.

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O’Daniell-Howell’s competition is Southern Illinois University alum, Bryan Reikena, who describes his occupation as “geek.”

Both candidates expressed disappointment in the fact that only 29 out of 250 registered voters in the village case their ballots in this election.

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"I would have liked to see a little more than 11 or 12 percent show up," Riekena told UPI.

Illinois law calls for a coin toss in situations like these, so despite low voter turnout, a village president will be elected on April 20, officials say.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.