Coin flip decides Robertson County magistrate race after 91-91 tie

A northern Kentucky election ended in a tie and was decided by a coin flip, according to reporting from WLKY and KCRA.

Republican Benny Ray Renner and Democrat Kristen Gifford Fryman each received 91 votes in the race for magistrate in the county’s 2nd Magisterial District.

Out of the 182 ballots cast, there was not a single vote that separated the two candidates once all precincts had reported their numbers back.

Following a recommendation from the Kentucky State Board of Elections, officials decided to settle the race the old-fashioned way — a coin flip.

It is unclear who chose heads and who chose tails, but officials with the Robertson County Clerk’s Office told WLKY that Fryman came out on top and won the election.

Robertson County is a rural county near the Ohio-Kentucky state line and around 58 miles from Cincinnati, Ohio, according to KCRA.

Why it matters

The race shows how a tied local election can be resolved by chance when candidates receive identical vote totals and all precincts have reported.

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Sources

• wlky.com: Coin flip decides Kentucky election after race ends in a tie - WLKY
• kcra.com: Kentucky election tie decided by coin flip - KCRA

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.