Ferndale and Sumas city council races decided by coin toss
Political races that started in May — when local candidates registered to run for office — ended Wednesday, Dec. 4, with the flip of a coin.
And just like that, a month after Election Day, both challengers won their races for Sumas and Ferndale City Council, ousting the incumbents.
Deborah Morgan of Sumas and Paul Shuey of Ferndale are the winners, according to the toss of a commemorative “challenge coin” from Secretary of State Kim Wyman.
Here’s how it happened:
City council races in Sumas and Ferndale were so close after the Nov. 5 election that hand recounts were required under state law.
Both recounts showed a tie Tuesday, Dec. 3, and state law dictates a coin toss to decide such races, said Diana Bradrick, chief deputy auditor for Whatcom County.
▪ In Sumas, incumbent Todd Daniels and challenger Morgan each had 176 votes. A hand recount changed nothing, Bradrick said Tuesday.
▪ In Ferndale, incumbent City Council member Teresa N. Taylor was trailing challenger Shuey by one vote, 1,928 to 1,927. But the recount showed them tied Tuesday after elections workers found one ballot that hadn’t been scanned and it contained a vote for Taylor, Bradrick said.
On Wednesday, the Canvassing Board met to decide and then certify the election.
The choice of heads or tails was drawn by lot from candidates’ names in a small bag. Then canvassing board members tossed the coin, once for each race.
Morgan had been awarded tails and that’s how it landed. Shuey was awarded heads, and his toss was heads.
Using chance to decide an election has happened at least twice in the past 22 years, according to The Bellingham Herald’s records.
▪ In 2008, several party precinct committee officer races were decided by coin toss.
▪ In 1997, a coin toss decided a Ferndale City Council that was tied after two recounts.
This story was originally published December 4, 2019 at 5:03 PM.
