Mayor's race a dead heat

Photo: Contributed

A brief problem with a voting machine has resulted in a tie in the mayor's race in Peachland.

The municipality's chief election officer, in a news release verifying the results of Saturday's election, says the official results show a dead heat between incumbent Cindy Fortin and challenger Harry Gough.

Both now officially have 804 votes. On election night, Gough held a one-vote lead, 804 to 803.

In the release, Polly Palmer said a voting machine mis-fed a ballot, causing it to jam.

She said before the presiding official was able to re-insert the ballot, it landed in the sealed ballot box.

Palmer said a verification process was held Monday in the presence of the two top mayoral candidates or their representatives.

"The verification and ballot accounting process has concluded that there is a tie for the position of mayor," said Palmer in the release.

She says an application will be made for a judicial recount of the mayor's ballot. The recount must be conducted within 13 days after the election.

"If a tie is confirmed, the winner must be determined by the drawing of lot (names in a hat), pursuant to the District’s Election Procedures Bylaw No. 1536, which is conducted by the Provincial Courts."

All other results remained unchanged.