By Leslie Moriarty
Herald Writer
EVERETT — The gold Sacagawea dollar coin was flipped into the air.
"Tails," called out Cindy Broughton.
The coin landed on the floor.
It was heads.
And so Friday, Broughton lost the race for Sultan City Council position 2. The coin flip broke a tie between Broughton and challenger Robert Criswell. They both got exactly 501 votes in Nov. 6 general election, a total verified by a hand recount earlier that day.
Snohomish County Auditor Bob Terwilliger was the man who flipped the coin. And he was also the one who picked it up off the floor, as is tradition, and handed it to Broughton.
"At least it’s over now," Broughton said.
The race had been a closely watched race by many in Sultan.
Both candidates already held council seats. But Criswell decided to challenge Broughton for her seat, rather than run for his own.
The hand recount was requested by Criswell when a machine recount on Nov. 30 showed him at 482 votes to Broughton’s 487. The race had been tied at 496 when ballots were first tabulated election week.
It took six election workers, working in pairs, more than two hours to go through the ballots one by one — first counting them, then stacking them by candidate, then by write-in, and those that marked no candidate or both candidates.
Once totals were tabulated and certified, Terwilliger asked the two candidates if they had decided who was going to call the coin.
Criswell offered the opportunity to Broughton.
After losing the coin flip, Broughton congratulated Criswell. He thanked her in return.
Criswell declined to comment on the coin flip. But just prior to that he said, "There really are no winners or losers in this."
Although Criswell put down a $270 deposit to pay for the recount, his money will be refunded because of the tie. Taxpayers will end up paying the $500 in expected costs.
According to auditor’s records, the last hand count was in the 1997 Index mayoral race. In that race, a 2-vote lead for Peter Gott became a 3-vote lead after the recount.
Terwilliger said the last coin flip in Snohomish County occurred sometime in the 1980s.
"To get to this place in a general election race in today’s world," he said, "is rare."
You can call Herald Writer Leslie Moriarty at 425-339-3436
or send e-mail to moriarty@heraldnet.com.
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