Blaine County sheriff prevails in tiebreaker drawing
Blaine County sheriff prevails in tiebreaker drawing
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By Tony Thornton
Published: August 5, 2008
WATONGA — Need proof that every vote counts?
Just ask Blaine County Sheriff Ricky Ainsworth, who Tuesday received the luck of a draw to stay in contention for re-election.
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Almaguer said during the recount that the outcome wouldn’t alter his working relationship with Ainsworth. “There’s no hard feelings between the sheriff and me. We’ve worked together for 14 years. This (running for office) is just something I decided to do. “Let the best man win, I guess,” Almaguer said. Afterward, he said he still believes in the tiebreaker method. “I don’t have any gripes. I just wish it would have been my name instead of his,” the losing candidate said. Before the judge chose the winner, Ainsworth said he preferred to let the voters break the tie through another election. “We’re going to have a runoff, anyway (for another race),” he said. Afterward, the winner said the outcome made him a believer in the hopper method. Tie votes rare
The last race involving a margin of one or two votes was the 2000 election for Le Flore County sheriff, said Clingman, the state election board secretary. In that case, initial results showed the incumbent winning by a single vote. After a recount, the challenger won by one vote. At that time, Clingman’s predecessor said only twice had a recount overturned the results of an election. In this race, the odds of a tie were enhanced greatly by low voter turnout. Clingman said last week the statewide turnout was the lowest since 1952. Crawford said she recalled one other time a tiebreaker was needed in Blaine County. It involved a Longdale city council race several years ago in which each candidate received about 15 votes, she said. Tuesday’s recount drew considerable interest, requiring court officials to shuffle a previously scheduled docket and move the recount into the county’s largest courtroom. In announcing how the recount would be conducted, Crawford said, “Fortunately we’re not in Florida, so there will be no hanging chads.” The two candidates sat next to each other during the nearly 31/2-hour recount, watching from behind two women chosen to “read” each ballot. Two other women counted each ballot, providing a throwback to the days of elections held before the advent of electronic vote counters. After Woodward named the winner, Ainsworth and Almaguer shook hands and congratulated each other on running a good race. “It’s as fair as you could get,” Almaguer said of the tiebreaker.
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