Talk Elections

after recounts every state and DC comes in tied between the Republican and the Democrat?

Impossible I know, but if that were the case, what happens?

I'm assuming each state has a chief elections officer who votes only to break a tie.

I doubt this and I doubt law is even providing such an option, knowing odds are indeed impossible. Yet, the question is interesting and I'd love to see some of our in-house law scholars to make an opinion.

PA does not.

Each state's electors would then be determined by a coin flip.  That would be an odd-looking electoral map.

Three states have had recent tied elections: Massachusetts, New Mexico, and South Dakota. Massachusetts revotes; in New Mexico, the two candidates play a game of poker; in South Dakota, the first candidate who, blindfolded, picks a white marble from a bag full of black marbles wins.

I don't think it would be legal for a chief elections officer to cast a tie-breaking vote.

It would certainly violate "one man - one vote" principle, since said officer certainly already casted his vote as a citizen.

Well, I just flipped a coin for each state and, by accident, the map looks pretty consistent.

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R: 279
D: 259

I did the flip for all states again, and map looks much more bizzare this time.

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WHAT THE...

It's again R: 279 and D: 259 ???

THIS COIN IS CURSED!

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Welcome back to the Decision 3099! (Russian rouble)
R - 277
D - 261

Damn you, cursed Polish Zloty.

I'll use a Lithuanian Litas now.

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D: 276
R: 262

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Washington -- coin landed almost sideways, leaning on my data stick.
Technically it should count as D.
267 R, 259 D, 12 I/D

In my original post I have stated that the chief elections officer only votes in the event of a tie in order to cast the tie breaking vote.  So, in such case, they would not have previously voted.

Using the excel RAND function I somehow managed to generate a strong dem win :

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D : 304
R : 234

20 Lithuanian Cents went Democratic.

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D: 332
R: 206

Tossed a quarter
282 R - 256 D

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This thread inspires me to make a "flip a coin" thread in the what if section :)

My nickel's results:

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R: 276
D: 262

1997 quarter

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GOP-T-326
Dem-H-212

According to all of your coin flips, Georgia is a real GOP stronghold.  It first went for the Dems twice in a row, but after Kal's initial two elections on page 1, it's gone for the GOP nine times in a row.

How do you guys have the patience to flip a coin 51 times ?

1 peseta, Spain 1953. Franco's fat face doesn't seal the deal for the GOP

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Thank you all for your coin flipping, interesting, but does not answer the original question.

Anybody know?

Federal law allows each state + DC to appoint their apportioned electors any way they choose, and this right extends to the settling of disputes in the popular vote.  The deadline for resolving these determinations, however, is six days prior to the meeting of the electors to cast their votes ("the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December").

Your assumption that there is a chief elections officer in each state who only votes in the case of a tie isn't accurate, and I don't know of any state that does so.  Some states might hold a quick revote (if they even have time to do so after the recount deliberations and inevitable lawsuits have concluded), while others will likely have coin flip-type solutions.  It all depends on state law.

Now, who wants to research 51 laws on how to break a tie in the statewide/districtwide popular vote?  :)

Microsoft Excel

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I wonder if there are states with no established provisions for such a case.

In Poland, if election results in a tie, the law provides a randomization. When my dad sat at the  precinct commission during local elections of 2002, he had to perform a randomization for our councilman. Unfortunately, it resulted in our preferred candidate's defeat :(

1 złoty, this time, polish coinage went Democratic.

But Georgia stays solid Republican :P

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D: 282
R: 256


Contraty to what you may think, tt doesn't take long.

Thank you.  This sheds some light on the subject.

In Texas a second vote is held with only the tying candidates on the ballot unless the candidates both candidates agree to resolve the tie by casting lots.

Also, my understanding of the law in New Mexico is that in the event of a tie the state's electoral votes are determined by Kevin Costner, and hilarious hijinks ensue as both Presidential candidates attempt to personally woo him for his vote. 

1989 pennies are, apparently, Democrats.

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Democrat: 399
Republican: 199
Independent: 10

When I flipped for Maryland, it actually landed vertically between two of my keyboard keys.

And GA stays solid GOP.

That, my friend, is a win.

1980 penny:

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286-252

And the magic Georgia rule is broken...

Of course a 1980 coin would go Republican. It even gives Carter his home state.

Yo, I just found a quarter minted in 1967!  Went through all my change and found a penny from 1964!  So the map is from 1964, though I used the '67 quarter since that is easier to tell heads from tales (the penny is in it's illegibly dark stage of life).

Heads is Incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson
Tails is Barry Goldwater
If it lands in some awkward sideways position, I'll give the state to Goldwater.

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Goldwater: 295
Johnson: 200
Wallace: 43

If you're wondering how the coin managed to land on its side seven times, I was lying on my bed, flipping the coin, and seven times it landed propped up against my leg.