US midterms: Local Kentucky races decided by coin toss

How do you do a selection when an election is tied? In Kentucky, a coin toss will do the trick, according to state law.

Not one, but two contests had resort to this method this week - one for a council seat, another for a magistrate.

The races were among many local elections that were held during the US midterm elections.

And on both occasions candidates were more than happy with the 50-50 chance provided by a flip and gravity.

The first took place in Breckinridge County - a small county south-west of Louisville - where candidates David Albright and Ronnie Robinson were vying for Fourth District magistrate.

Each of them received 572 votes, according to local reports, and the two agreed that one would flip a coin while the other chooses heads or tails to decide the winner.

Albright, who called heads, won.

In the race in nearby Muldraugh, a city council seat was also decided by a coin toss.

Candidates Deborah Noel and Sharon Hodge were asked by the local county clerk to choose heads or tails before the clerk flipped the coin.

Heads came out on top again, and Ms Noel will sit on the city council.