BILL GAITHER/The Register-MailSheila Parkin of Galesburg spins the wheel containing numbered pingpong balls Friday in the Knox County Courthouse. The ball-drawing lottery determined the winners in three area elections.
Pingpong balls settle elections
Drawings determine final seats in 2 towns
Saturday, May 5, 2007
GALESBURG - Lester Naslund and Bart Randall have won seats on the Knoxville City Council and John Blair Selman has won a seat on the Altona Village Board.Winners of the April 17 consolidated elections were determined Friday afternoon at the Knox County Courthouse by drawing pingpong balls from a bingo cage.
Knox County Clerk Scott Erickson said he was allowed to choose how the ties would be broken. He said he picked the pingpong ball drawing because it wouldn't be necessary to have all the candidates present.
"This way was the least cumbersome to all the candidates," Erickson said. "It allows for the most even playing field."
Sheila Parkin, who works in the clerk's office, was responsible for turning the bingo cage. The cage contained four pingpong balls, two blank and two marked with numbers 1 and 2 that corresponded to the candidates' last names. Each race was drawn separately.
Naslund beat out Teresa Thomas in Knoxville's First Ward. Thomas had served on the council for one four-year term. Randall defeated Ashley German-Cooper for a seat in the Fourth Ward, which had been vacant since Dean Mastin moved from Knoxville in July. Both candidates were running for the first time.
Naslund and Thomas each had 61 votes after the April 17 election. After Thomas' loss, Knoxville will have four new alderman, with Kirk Heller, Ward 2, and Ed Mahar, Ward 3, also joining the council.
Although she lost in the end, Thomas was relieved the race had finally been decided.
"I'm glad it's over," Thomas said after the drawing. "What was supposed to be was supposed to be."
Randall also was relieved the race was finished, but was victorious in his drawing. German-Cooper and Randall had tied with 22 votes each.
"I'm ready to become aware of the issues and get more involved," Randall said.
Winners of the Knoxville race will take their seats on the council at 7 p.m. Monday at the Knoxville Clinic.
Selman and Darcy Swanson had tied with 81 votes for a four-year seat on the Altona Village Board.
Even though Swanson didn't win, she said she'll still attend meetings.
"I'm a little disappointed," Swanson said. "I wish Blair good luck on the board, though."
