EASTON, Pa. — For some political candidates, electoral fate rests with ping pong balls rather than voters.
Elections workers in Northampton County cast lots in the courthouse cafeteria Friday morning to settle primary election races that ended in ties in the April municipal primary.
The process determined that William Pinter, rather than Stephen Gross, will appear on the November ballot as Democratic nominee for Hanover Township’s board of supervisors.
As write-in candidates, the two finished in a tie for second place behind Barry Check in the April Republican primary.
Two candidates from each party will appear on the general election ballot.
Gross, a registered Democrat, won his party's nomination to the seat, so he'll still appear on the general election ballot as a Democrat.
Little dice in a red jar
Humankind has been using random drawings to decide matters of importance for more than 4,000 years. Ancient Mesopotamian clay tablets recount priests placing marked lots — exactly what they were made of is unclear — in a stone vessel and shaking it until one fell out.
“There are other people, other counties that use old coffee cans, chip buckets. It varies.”Northampton County Elections Registrar Chris Commini
Today, there is no set protocol for drawing lots to help decide elections in Pennsylvania; each county uses its own method.
“There are other people, other counties that use old coffee cans, chip buckets. It varies,” Northampton County Elections Registrar Chris Commini said.
Northampton County “used to [use] little dice in a red jar. This seemed a little more appropriate.”
A ball decides
In Northampton County, the honor goes to a rotating drum filled with 30 numbered ping pong balls.
Typically, an elections worker or the candidate pulls out a ball for each candidate; alternatively, the candidates themselves can draw their own number.
Whichever candidate ends up with the smaller number wins.
Northampton County’s oracular ping pong balls — specifically, numbers 15 and 16 — determined Pinter also received the Republican nomination for supervisor.
In five other races where voters can select several names, the drawing determined in what order nominees would appear on the November ballot.
